After accompanying Situ Xin to apologize to Ye Ying, Xiao Yixuan hurriedly went to the palace court after giving a few words of explanation. He had a lot of paperwork piling up since their trip, after all he still had to do his job. Situ Xin returned to her room in boredom, and since Yangzhou's return, her room has been moved directly from the maid's room linked to Xiao Yam’s bedroom to the ’Jingxuan Pavilion’ Because she had a room now, she no longer had to run all the way up to her son’s room to drag a mattress every day. It had always seemed like there was something to do, especially when she had been working as a maid for that short period of time.
The past few days, she had been gently plucking all the peony blossoms in her courtyard to make some delicious tea.[1] It was a long process, she had to dry them in the sun, then cut them into long slices which she’d be able to use as tea. She normally finished around the time Xiao Yixuan came back from work and his eyes would light up when he smelled the sweet scent.
Situ Xin heard a knock from the door and she turned around, only to see Nalan Qin walk in, wearing a flattering and pleasing smile that sent shivers down her spine. She felt goosebumps appearing and knew that nothing good would come out of this.
"Ah, Madam Qin, what brings you to my courtyard?" [2]
"Miss Xin, I heard rumours that you enjoy tasting treats, so I made some myself and brought them here so that you could try it," Nalan Qin tried to suppress her anger inside, making sure that her eyes looked innocent and kind. She unconsciously twisted her dress slightly but managed to keep a smile.
So as it turns out, the leader of the Hundred Flowers Sect is so gorgeous and stunning. It was no question why the Wangye wanted to marry her as the main wife.[3] Nalan Qin had heard rumours that he would travel to the Hundred Flowers Sect soon to ask for her hand in marriage.
The dim sum in her hands looked delicious in front of Situ Xin and after working so hard, she was already drooling a little at the sight of it. However, at the back of her mind she remembered the aphrodisiac that Nalan Qin had given Xiao Yixuan all those years ago. Situ Xin smiled apologetically and said "Ah, it’s too bad that I just ate breakfast."
"This couldn’t be because I’m the Second Wife, right? Because I’ve been in a relationship with him for a long time?" Nalan Qin raised her eyebrow and pretended to look upset.
"Of course not, I really just ate too much for breakfast. I’m just a little too full." Xiao Yixuan was not afraid to be a little strange, she really had to avoid eating her food. She believed that this woman, with the most poisonous and evil of hearts perhaps was a little slow, but not stupid at all. She should not underestimate her or else she would turn out to be the fool.
"Then it really is good that I brought some tea to help you digest it." Nalan Qin poured a cup of tea from the pot she had just brought in and pushed it in front of Situ Xin.
Situ Xin looked at the cup of fresh tea right in front of her and didn’t drink it, but instead decided to serve her freshly brewed Peony Blossom tea to Nalan Qin. "I’ve just made some peony tea, why don’t I taste it with Madam Qin, it can revitalize blood and clear your skin."
Nalan Qin’s face immediately pursed, tense with displeasure and she asked with a little anger, "Xin’er, we are going to be a family soon. Why won’t your sister’s cup of tea, are you afraid that I’ll poison it?"
When Situ Xin saw Nalan Qin push the tea in front of her once again, she realised that if she did not drink it, she’d be seen as a person with no manners or respect. "Madam Qin, do not misunderstand, I will just drink it." She picked up the cup and took the smallest sip that she could manage. She did her best to push the tea from entering her body with her internal force. The tea that she had just drunk turned into water droplets that flowed out of her body along her fingers onto the table. It was still better to just guard against it, just in case.
"Drink it all up, Xin’er" Nalan Qin's peaceful and kind expression turned ferocious.
"Drink up, girl." Nalan's pleasing face immediately became ferocious.
Sure enough, Situ Xin had known that this woman never had any good intentions and she suddenly felt a extremely dizzy. She was confused, hadn’t she forced the tea out? What was going on? "You."
Nalan Qin laughed maniacally. "Situ Xin, you still aren’t smart enough. The tea was perfectly fine… but did you ever think about the cup?"
She glanced at the water droplets on the ground and revealed a smirk. Her conspiracy plan had succeeded.
Situ Xin cursed the damn woman in her heart, she really hated this woman that had tricked her like this. She attempted to support her body as much as she could, but found that her Qi was dissipating steadily. She wanted to call out for help, to find Ye Ying but her vision soon faded to black and Situ Xin slumped on her chair.
A man dressed head to toe in black leapt through the window, landing next to Situ Xin’s body.
Nalan Qin glanced at Situ Xin, who had already fallen to the ground. She talked angrily to the man dressed in black, "She’s in your hands, deal with her cleanly and make sure not to leave any traces."
She had no idea why this man in black helped her, nor had she seen the face behind his mask, but to her none of that mattered. Nalan Qin only cared about Xiao Yixuan, the man that she had been pursuing for so many years. She didn’t care what path she took. In the end, with this woman dead, Xiao Yixuan was in her pocket.
The black-clothed man didn’t even spare a moment, and he ignored Nalan Qin. He just picked up the unconscious Situ Xin and leapt back out the window, disappearing into thin air.
Footnotes
[1] Known in China as Bai Mudan (白牡丹), it’s a type of white peony tea that must be sun-withered and then left together for oxidation which creates more flavour. The sunning lasts between 1 to 3 days and the piling for around 2 hours. The leaves are then baked. The process is longer than ordinary teas but is apparently has a fruity flavour and a mild peony flavour and should leave a lingering, delicate fragrance.
[2] Madam Qin is refered to as Ce’fujin (側福晉), the ‘side’ wife, ranked 2ndif he had other wives.
[3] The main wife is referred to as Di’fujin (嫡福晋) and manages all the household affairs, her son is the one that has the right to inherit.
After accompanying Situ Xin to apologize to Ye Ying, Xiao Yixuan hurriedly went to the palace court after giving a few words of explanation. He had a lot of paperwork piling up since their trip, after all he still had to do his job. Situ Xin returned to her room in boredom, and since Yangzhou's return, her room has been moved directly from the maid's room linked to Xiao Yam’s bedroom to the ’Jingxuan Pavilion’ Because she had a room now, she no longer had to run all the way up to her son’s room to drag a mattress every day. It had always seemed like there was something to do, especially when she had been working as a maid for that short period of time.
The past few days, she had been gently plucking all the peony blossoms in her courtyard to make some delicious tea.[1] It was a long process, she had to dry them in the sun, then cut them into long slices which she’d be able to use as tea. She normally finished around the time Xiao Yixuan came back from work and his eyes would light up when he smelled the sweet scent.
Situ Xin heard a knock from the door and she turned around, only to see Nalan Qin walk in, wearing a flattering and pleasing smile that sent shivers down her spine. She felt goosebumps appearing and knew that nothing good would come out of this.
"Ah, Madam Qin, what brings you to my courtyard?" [2]
"Miss Xin, I heard rumours that you enjoy tasting treats, so I made some myself and brought them here so that you could try it," Nalan Qin tried to suppress her anger inside, making sure that her eyes looked innocent and kind. She unconsciously twisted her dress slightly but managed to keep a smile.
So as it turns out, the leader of the Hundred Flowers Sect is so gorgeous and stunning. It was no question why the Wangye wanted to marry her as the main wife.[3] Nalan Qin had heard rumours that he would travel to the Hundred Flowers Sect soon to ask for her hand in marriage.
The dim sum in her hands looked delicious in front of Situ Xin and after working so hard, she was already drooling a little at the sight of it. However, at the back of her mind she remembered the aphrodisiac that Nalan Qin had given Xiao Yixuan all those years ago. Situ Xin smiled apologetically and said "Ah, it’s too bad that I just ate breakfast."
"This couldn’t be because I’m the Second Wife, right? Because I’ve been in a relationship with him for a long time?" Nalan Qin raised her eyebrow and pretended to look upset.
"Of course not, I really just ate too much for breakfast. I’m just a little too full." Xiao Yixuan was not afraid to be a little strange, she really had to avoid eating her food. She believed that this woman, with the most poisonous and evil of hearts perhaps was a little slow, but not stupid at all. She should not underestimate her or else she would turn out to be the fool.
"Then it really is good that I brought some tea to help you digest it." Nalan Qin poured a cup of tea from the pot she had just brought in and pushed it in front of Situ Xin.
Situ Xin looked at the cup of fresh tea right in front of her and didn’t drink it, but instead decided to serve her freshly brewed Peony Blossom tea to Nalan Qin. "I’ve just made some peony tea, why don’t I taste it with Madam Qin, it can revitalize blood and clear your skin."
Nalan Qin’s face immediately pursed, tense with displeasure and she asked with a little anger, "Xin’er, we are going to be a family soon. Why won’t your sister’s cup of tea, are you afraid that I’ll poison it?"
When Situ Xin saw Nalan Qin push the tea in front of her once again, she realised that if she did not drink it, she’d be seen as a person with no manners or respect. "Madam Qin, do not misunderstand, I will just drink it." She picked up the cup and took the smallest sip that she could manage. She did her best to push the tea from entering her body with her internal force. The tea that she had just drunk turned into water droplets that flowed out of her body along her fingers onto the table. It was still better to just guard against it, just in case.
"Drink it all up, Xin’er" Nalan Qin's peaceful and kind expression turned ferocious.
"Drink up, girl." Nalan's pleasing face immediately became ferocious.
Sure enough, Situ Xin had known that this woman never had any good intentions and she suddenly felt a extremely dizzy. She was confused, hadn’t she forced the tea out? What was going on? "You."
Nalan Qin laughed maniacally. "Situ Xin, you still aren’t smart enough. The tea was perfectly fine… but did you ever think about the cup?"
She glanced at the water droplets on the ground and revealed a smirk. Her conspiracy plan had succeeded.
Situ Xin cursed the damn woman in her heart, she really hated this woman that had tricked her like this. She attempted to support her body as much as she could, but found that her Qi was dissipating steadily. She wanted to call out for help, to find Ye Ying but her vision soon faded to black and Situ Xin slumped on her chair.
A man dressed head to toe in black leapt through the window, landing next to Situ Xin’s body.
Nalan Qin glanced at Situ Xin, who had already fallen to the ground. She talked angrily to the man dressed in black, "She’s in your hands, deal with her cleanly and make sure not to leave any traces."
She had no idea why this man in black helped her, nor had she seen the face behind his mask, but to her none of that mattered. Nalan Qin only cared about Xiao Yixuan, the man that she had been pursuing for so many years. She didn’t care what path she took. In the end, with this woman dead, Xiao Yixuan was in her pocket.
The black-clothed man didn’t even spare a moment, and he ignored Nalan Qin. He just picked up the unconscious Situ Xin and leapt back out the window, disappearing into thin air.
Footnotes
[1] Known in China as Bai Mudan (白牡丹), it’s a type of white peony tea that must be sun-withered and then left together for oxidation which creates more flavour. The sunning lasts between 1 to 3 days and the piling for around 2 hours. The leaves are then baked. The process is longer than ordinary teas but is apparently has a fruity flavour and a mild peony flavour and should leave a lingering, delicate fragrance.
[2] Madam Qin is refered to as Ce’fujin (側福晉), the ‘side’ wife, ranked 2ndif he had other wives.
[3] The main wife is referred to as Di’fujin (嫡福晋) and manages all the household affairs, her son is the one that has the right to inherit.
