Chapter Six: Hidden Compartments and the Sudden Appearance of an Ally
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I carefully opened the hidden compartment, my heart pounding like a drum.
Wow!
Inside was an aged treasure map, along with a letter sealed tightly with wax!
Fortune awaits!
I was so excited I nearly shouted out loud.
Before I could examine it closely, a harsh laugh rang out—“Well, well, if it isn’t Lady Lu! What are you doing treasure hunting in the Imperial Study?”
Consort Xiao!
Enemies meet by chance!
She stormed in with a group of henchmen, eyes blazing with fury, as if she wanted to devour me alive.
“Impudent Lu Wan’er! How dare you steal secret documents from the Imperial Study!” she barked, making me nearly drop the treasure map and letter.
I immediately stuffed them into my sleeve, forcing myself to remain calm. “Your Highness, you must be mistaken! I found these while organizing the books—I did not steal anything!”
Consort Xiao sneered coldly. “Organizing books? I think you planned to steal! Guards, seize her!”
Two burly maids rushed forward, ready to drag me away.
I clutched the treasure map and letter tightly, my heart sinking to the depths.
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This is the end—I’d be guilty even if I threw myself into the Yellow River!
At this critical moment, a clear voice came from behind the bookshelf: “Hold on! I can vouch for Lady Lu.”
A man in a blue robe, holding a feather fan, stepped out from behind the shelves.
His face was as handsome as a jade crown, and his bearing was extraordinary—clearly no ordinary person.
“Who are you, daring to obstruct my affairs?” Consort Xiao glared at him with fury.
The man smiled slightly, cupping his hands. “I am Sun, strategist to the Prime Minister. I’ve overheard Your Highness conspiring with your followers to frame Lady Lu. Such actions are rather…,” he paused meaningfully, casting a glance at Consort Xiao, “unfair, don’t you think?”
Consort Xiao’s embarrassment turned to rage. Just as she was about to lash out, Sun produced a letter from his sleeve and slowly unfurled it…
Consort Xiao’s face turned green, as if she had swallowed a fly.
Pointing at Sun’s nose, she hissed, “You insolent Sun, daring to defy me! Guards, take him down too!”
I secretly worried—Sun seemed formidable; surely Consort Xiao wouldn’t easily take him down?
I glanced at the letter in his hand, which contained words like “conspiracy,” “scheming for favor,” and “power struggle.” Good heavens, if the Emperor found out, Consort Xiao would be in deep trouble!
While I was lost in thought, Sun calmly pulled out a token engraved with a shimmering golden character meaning “strategy.”
“Your Highness, I am the strategist under the Prime Minister, a trusted confidant of His Majesty. Are you sure you want to arrest me?” His calm demeanor suggested he held everything under control.
Consort Xiao was dumbfounded upon seeing the token.
The Prime Minister was the Emperor’s close confidant—how could she dare offend him?
What a rapid and unexpected turn of events!
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I felt like I was on a roller coaster, rising and falling—thrilling beyond measure!
In the end, Sun reported everything directly to the Emperor. Consort Xiao was severely reprimanded and placed under house arrest for a month.
As for me?
Not only did I save my life, but the Emperor also granted me permission to continue exploring the secrets of the hidden compartments.
Ha! Truly, “just when the mountains and rivers seem to block the way, a village appears amid the willows and blossoms.”
With Sun and me now allies, we had become comrades through conflict.
He was particularly interested in my treasure-hunting skills and promised to protect me within the palace.
I must say, Sun is truly a benefactor!
With his help, my life at court seemed to flow more smoothly, though I knew the harem was a battlefield where new dangers could arise at any moment.
More importantly, where exactly was the treasure on that map?
“This treasure map…” Sun unfurled the yellowed parchment and gently traced the winding lines with his fingertip, “there’s something peculiar about it…”