A/N edited this on the phone so excuse any mistakes. Also the formatting might be a bit weird until I can check it on the computer
The king had sent him to deliver another package to the queen dowager. Despite feeling disgruntled at being reduced to a delivery boy, Liu Qingyuan relented. It was a good opportunity to glance over the dowager's rooms. After all, if there was no clue about the Qiangda flower in the king's chambers, or the vault, then it must be in the imperial mother's possession.
As he approached the palace, the maid standing at the door stepped forward. "Sir," she greeted.
Liu Qingyuan lifted the package of herbal tea in his hands. "It's a gift from his majesty."
"Oh..." She looked troubled and suddenly bowed down. "Nubi* is new. I'll have to trouble you to tuck it away yourself."
(*Nubi - Slave servant, a way that maids address themselves)
"En." Slightly pleased with this development, Liu Qingyuan stepped past. The maid quickly called him back.
"Her majesty is not in currently. You...you know where to place it?" she trailed off uncertaintly.
"En." The king had given him clear instructions. Brushed off by his short reply, the maid let him go. Liu Qingyuan pushed open the door, looking around with sharp eyes. The room was a common arrangement, aligned with the feng shui* to harmonize the inhabitants of the room. Despite the commonality, the objects in the room were of top quality. Liu Qingyuan even thought he saw a table made of huanghuali.**
(*Feng Shui - A way to govern spatial arrangement in relation to the flow of energy)
(**Huanghuali - Type of wood)
He moved to a cabinet in the side room, quietly putting away the tea. The interior of the cabinet was fragrant from the tea leaves; it was no doubt a favorite of the dowager's. With a glance at the door, Liu Qingyuan moved swiftly, flipping through the various documents and books. He searched the entire room, seeing neither hide nor hair of useful information.
There was one last locked cabinet in the right wing side room. The lock was soft and old and quickly succumbed to Liu Qingyuan's efforts. The cabinet door was quickly opened but when the content's were revealed, he was sorely disappointed! All there was were some dusty, forgotten books, a few trinkets and a jade green vase.It really made him wonder why the cabinet was locked in the first place!
Liu Qingyuan sighed eternally. It was expected that it wasn't going to be this easy but one could hope. He heard movement outside and silently closed the cabinet. However, in the midst of the action, the jade vase wobbled as if pushed by an invisible hand. His luck really was terrible!!
Liu Qingyuan was forced to let go of the door, instead reaching out a hand to steady the vase. The maid from before stopped in her tracks at the sight and the room paused for a moment. "You..." Her eyes took in the awkward position and dropped to the old lock in Liu Qingyuan's other hand. "This cabinet...you're not supposed to..." Her big eyes widened and she started to back away. Seeing that she was going to call for help, Liu Qingyuan quickly shut the cabinet, appearing in front of her in a second.
Panicked, the maid retreated against a pillar, opening her mouth to scream. Liu Qingyuan quickly put a hand over her mouth. "Be good," he whispered. The maid looked up fearfully and saw the ice in his eyes, body shaking even more. Liu Qingyuan's jaw ticked as he watched tears flood her eyes. Were all women quick to tears like this? It was a little annoying...The king's temperament was infinitely better.
The other maid, who was outside, did not hear any noise for a long time. She leaned towards the door and called, "Xiao4 Ju, does the gongzi need help?" Liu Qingyuan turned back to Xiao Ju and his severe gaze sent another chill through her body. The warning was clear in his eyes as he slowly removed his hand. After a prompting look, the maid turned to the door.
"N-no I-I," She cleared her throat. "No, jiejie. This gentleman is just done..." There was no more inquiry after that. After a beat of silence, Xiao Ju quickly kneeled at Liu Qingyuan's feet.
"Young master, I beg you to let me go. Nubi has done nothing wrong." She panicked again, quickly correcting herself. "N-nubi does not know what she did wrong, young master please have mercy." Infact, as a maid of the dowager, Xiao Ju did not have to lower herself like this but she was new and unaware and the man before her had such a sharp gaze. Furthermore, if he was qualified to be the king's guard, he must have some furious martial arts!. Even against a regular man, a young girl like her was already at a disadvantage.
After a moment, he said, "You already know what you have to do." Although she was young and naive, Xiao Ju was not stupid. In a few seconds, she was nodding her head frantically.
"Nubi didn't see. Gongzi was just putting away the herbal tea sent by his majesty..."
"What is in there?"
"Nubi heard her majesty say that they were relics from the past regime, when the late king was alive..." Liu Qingyuan narrowed his eyes. Maybe he should have another look. But with this maid in front of him, how could he do it in a way that didn't raise suspicion? In the palace, the number one rule was that no one could be trusted. Greed and sin ran rampant under the guise of jade and gold and everyone had their own motives and ambitions.
As if the heavens were punishing him for trying to kill their beloved monarch, an imperial guard dressed in red and armour burst in, becoming suspicious at the sight of the maid kneeling at his feet. With a sharp glance from Liu Qingyuan, Xiao Ju scrambled to her feet, rushing to make an explanation.
"It is not like that brother Lin! This servant accidentally offended this young master just now." Suddenly becoming brave, she took the initiative to shove them both out of the room, still rambling.
Once outside, the guard looked Liu Qingyuan up and down and grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. "Where do you think you're going?" he sneered.
Liu Qingyuan looked coldly down at the hand on his arm and back up to the soldier's face. "Let go."
"You dare order me around? I work under the General! Today, I'll take you back to be investigated!" Xiao Ju, who'd just come out of the rooms, paled at those words. She remembered Liu Qingyuan's dangerous gaze and wondered how this pig-headed soldier dared to provoke him. She rushed over.
"Brother Lin!"
"Don't worry Xiao Ju, I'll investigate this man. You won't be wronged!" Liu Qingyuan took notice of how they called each other so intimately. Perhaps they were friends before or of close relation.
Liu Qingyuan shook off the soldier's arm, preparing to leave. The soldier's face darkened, reaching out again. Liu Qingyuan knocked his hand away, performing a quick maneuver, sending him tumbling to the ground. The maid shrieked, attracting unnecessary attention and her 'jiejie' finally rushed forward, dragging her away from the fighting men.
Humiliated, the soldier lunged at Liu Qingyuan who easily blocked his attacks. With a 'shick' the soldier drew a knife. Caught off guard, Liu Qingyuan managed to block it with the palm of his hand. His arm trembled, the wound from the female's assassin's blade sending pain up his arm. The soldier was air-headed but he was still trained for battle and caught the small weakness in triumph.
He punched the spot and Liu Qingyuan sucked in a breath, the muscles in his neck going stiff from the strain. The soldier used the moment to grab his collar, yanking him closer to snarl in his face. "Know your place!"
"Brother Lin!" The maid cried again. "Don't you see his uniform? He's an elite guard!" But the soldier wasn't listening.
Liu Qingyuan struggled, pushing him away and landing a sharp kick on his knee. The man howled in pain as a sharp crack sounded and the bone fractured. Liu Qingyuan glared down at him, his hand instinctively cradling his own injury. "You-"
"Impudent!" All heads turned at the sound of the fierce voice. The soldier paled at the sight, immediately kowtowing. Liu Qingyuan bowed slightly, his face calm but his eyes still furious.
"Your majesty." At his words, the maids behind him also crashed to their knees. Jiang Zhilan stopped beside Liu Qingyuan, eyes frowning in displeasure at his messy collar. He reached out, fixing it. His hand brushed against the rough bandages under his shirt and a strange look came over his face. A hand grabbed his own and his eyes flicked up to Liu Qingyuan's.
"Did I hurt you?" He said, his eyes narrowing a little.
"No, your majesty." But Jiang Zhilan saw how he slightly pushed away his hands. "I'll do it myself." The king looked at him for another second before turning back to the soldier, his gaze instantly turning cold.
"Care to explain?"
The soldier, seeing that his majesty was in an unusually bad mood today, immediately started groveling. "Have mercy, your majesty. Have mercy. This servant was a little too bold just now."
"A little?" Jiang Zhilan sneered. How unsightly. For an upright soldier to grovel like his dignity was nothing! He couldn' help but think about the resolute way Liu Qingyuan had rebutted his older brother...
"Eunuch Shuang!"
"Yes, your majesty?"
"Take this soldier to General Fu. He's his subordinate. Have him delegate the punishment." He pinched the bridge of his nose. The soldier paled. Unlike this kind and fair king, General Fu was strict when it came to his soldiers. As military men, they had to be perfect examples.
"Your majesty!!" He wailed. Jiang Zhilan waved his hand and signaled for Eunuch Shuang to hurry up.
"Guards, take him!" Two guards detached from the king's entourage and dragged the soldier away.
"You all may rise," Jiang Zhilan said vaguely to the kneeling servants. He turned to Liu Qingyuan and gave him a long look. "Let's go back."