Chapter 115: Chapter 114: Disturbing Sleep in the Middle of the Night Chapter 115: Chapter 114: Disturbing Sleep in the Middle of the Night Shen Chuwei sighed and sat on the couch, taking a bite of the pastries on the plate.

Seeing Shen Chuwei silent, Chun Xi knew she had been severely scolded, “Miss, His Highness is busy every day and is bound to be bad-tempered.

Let’s not take it to heart.

For supper, I’ll make you some delicious food.”

It was only when Shen Chuwei heard the promise of something tasty that her gloom lifted.

She crossed her legs and took another bite of the pastries, starting to order dishes, “Shredded pork with hot peppers, I haven’t had it in a long time.”

Chun Xi agreed cheerfully, “No problem, I’ll make it tonight.”

“And pickled fish, sweet and sour ribs, too.”

“I’ve noted it down.”

Shen Chuwei continued eating her pastries.

Unable to resist asking, Chun Xi said, “Miss, how did His Highness scold you?

If His Highness is unreasonable, the next time he comes to dine, I won’t add salt to his food.”

“He said my writing is ugly and asked me to practice,” Shen Chuwei bit into her pastry and continued, “What’s the use of my writing when I, a powerless lady, have no influence?

Who would even look at it?”

Chun Xi couldn’t help but laugh, “Miss, all this over that?”

Shen Chuwei sipped her tea, “What else?”

Chun Xi consoled her, “Your Highness is only looking out for you.

Why doesn’t he ask any other lady to practice writing then?”

“Because they don’t need to.”

“…Okay then!” Chun Xi spotted a beautiful brocade box and asked curiously, “Miss, what’s this?”

Shen Chuwei explained, “A pen from His Highness, he said it’s the only one of its kind, worth more than a fortune.”

Chun Xi touched the brocade box joyfully and carefully opened it for a look.

Under the lamp, a faint blue light shone from the pen, clearly not an ordinary one.

“His Highness is really good to you, Miss, giving you such an expensive pen.

Even the other ladies don’t have it.”

Curious, Shen Chuwei asked Chun Xi, “All the ladies in favor are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Why didn’t His Highness give it to them?”

“I don’t know what His Highness thinks, but I can tell that he really likes you, Miss,” said a thrilled Chun Xi.

Outside, Little Fuzi entered to report, “Miss, Chun Tao is here, kneeling in the yard.”

Chun Xi complained, “Why is she here again?

I’ve never seen anyone so shameless.

Now that she knows Miss is favored, she’s come running back.”

Shen Chuwei ordered, “Go out and tell her that once she leaves the Xiyun Pavilion, she won’t get the chance to return.”

“As you command,” Little Fuzi turned and went back to the yard.

Kneeling on the cold ground, Chun Tao trembled in her thin garments.

Seeing Little Fuzi come out, she asked anxiously, “Has Lady Shen agreed for me to come back?”

Little Fuzi replied coldly, “The miss said, once maids and servants leave Xiyun Pavilion’s doors, they have no chance to return.

You should leave now.”

Chun Tao cried bitterly, in utter misery, “I can’t return to Lady Shen’s place, and if Lady Shen won’t take me back, I really have nowhere else to go.”

“That has nothing to do with the miss.

You should have thought of this day when you left the Xiyun Pavilion in the first place.”

Having said that, Little Fuzi instructed, “Little Guizi, take her out.

Don’t let her disturb the miss.”

Putting down her broom, Little Guizi dragged Chun Tao out with her.

Chun Tao cried pitifully, “Please, I’ve nowhere to go, please beg Lady Shen to be lenient, alright?”

After her bath, Shen Chuwei, guided by the candlelight, removed the pen His Highness Xiao Jinyan had given to her from the brocade box and studied it closely.

Its warmth was evident at the touch, clearly a precious material.

Why would he give her such an expensive pen?

Could it really just be to remind her to practice calligraphy?

Holding the pen in one hand and a book in the other, she sighed helplessly, “Isn’t there an ancient saying, ‘A woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talents’?”

Shen Chuwei put away the pen, got up, and dove under the covers, into the warmth of the hot-water bottle Chun Xi had prepared earlier.

Just then, a woman’s crying pierced the night from outside the window–shrill and miserable, making sleep impossible.

She called out, “Chun Xi, who’s crying out there?”

Chun Xi drew back the curtain and came in, “Don’t worry, miss, I’ll go and inquire.”

Having said that, Chun Xi let the curtain fall and went out.

At night, the cold wind howled.

Dressed in thick cotton clothes, Chun Xi opened the door, letting the chilly wind blow in as she shrank her neck, “Little Anzi, what on earth is happening outside?”

Little Anzi replied, “It’s Chun Tao, clinging to the doorway and refusing to leave, just crying there.”

“We already said that once you leave Xiyun Pavilion, there’s no coming back.

Still refusing to leave really shows some nerve,” Chun Xi said indignantly, and turned to go back inside.

“Miss, it’s Chun Tao crying outside.

She just won’t leave.

With it being so cold out, if something happens, they’ll say Xiyun Pavilion is cold-hearted and merciless.” Chun Xi grew more irritated the more she thought about it.

Shen Chuwei glanced out the window; outside all was blurred, with only the red lanterns and the ceaseless movement of tree branches visible.

Having heard there would be snow in the next few days, knowing there’d be a problem if something happened, Xiyun Pavilion surely could not escape being implicated.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “Chun Xi, let Chun Tao stay for the night.

Tomorrow morning, go to the Internal Affairs Office and have Steward Quan arrange another place for her.”

“Got it, miss,” Chun Xi said as she let the curtain fall and went out.

Chun Xi reopened the door and instructed, “Little Anzi, let Chun Tao stay for the night.

First thing in the morning, take her to the Internal Affairs Office to find another job.”

“Understood, I’ll get her settled right in,” Little Anzi efficiently arranged for Chun Tao to stay in an empty side room.

Without the crying of the woman, only the howling of the cold wind remained.

It wasn’t long before Shen Chuwei fell asleep.

The next morning, Chun Xi lifted the curtain and rushed in, shaking the sleeping Shen Chuwei, “Miss, miss, something terrible has happened.”

Shen Chuwei, deep in slumber and shaken awake, rubbed her eyes, “What’s wrong?

What happened?”

Chun Xi’s face was stricken with fear, “Miss, Chun Tao is dead.”

Shen Chuwei was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sat up, somewhat disbelieving as she looked at Chun Xi, “Did you say Chun Tao is dead?”

“Yes, miss.

This morning, Gui Xiang opened the door and found that Chun Tao was dead,” Chun Xi, who had never seen a corpse before, was sure that the sight of Chun Tao’s face would haunt her in nightmares.

The last thing Shen Chuwei wanted was trouble, which is why she let Chun Tao stay the night.

She had not expected that trouble would still come.

“Tell Little Fuzi to inform His Highness and see how he chooses to deal with this.”

“I’m on it,” Chun Xi said as she ran out, telling Little Fuzi, “Go and tell His Highness that there’s trouble at Xiyun Pavilion.”

“Right,” Little Fuzi, nimble and swift, ran off from Xiyun Pavilion in no time.

Shen Chuwei began to dress and wash.

Perhaps because of Chun Tao’s crying last night, by the next morning, Lady Shen, Lady Gui Xiang, and Concubine Xu, among others, had all rushed to Xiyun Pavilion.

Only upon arrival did they learn that it was Chun Tao who was crying last night, and she had died by this morning.

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There was a mix-up between Chun Tao and Little Fuzi; the previous chapters have been amended.