Chapter Sixty-Eight: Discovery

“What scheme is Miss Su plotting now?” Yun Yanyi could not help but ask as he watched her face flit from joy to worry.

“Ah? It’s nothing. Thank you, Prince, for telling me about this,” Su Liluo replied, her heart pounding as she realized how late it was. A sense of foreboding pressed on her, and in her haste, she knocked over the teacup on the table.

Staring blankly at the fragments on the floor, she stood frozen for a long moment, then quickly looked up, saying, “Prince Yi, I have been out of the residence for far too long this time, and I am truly uneasy. I must return at once. I beg your pardon.”

“I am not one to be petty. Go on, I’ll have someone prepare a carriage for you,” Yun Yanyi replied.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Su Liluo said hurriedly and rushed out.

Su Hong had intended to return to his study, but remembering his earlier conversation with the old madam, he realized he could not let anything go wrong with Su Liluo, so he changed course and headed for her courtyard.

Liuzhu and Liuying, upon hearing that the master was coming, were instantly thrown into panic. “What do we do? The master never comes here. Why today of all days? And the young lady has not even returned yet.”

The two maids gripped each other’s hands tightly, trying to reassure themselves. “It’s all right, it’s all right. Just say the young lady is ill and resting inside. We only need to keep it from him for a while.”

Fearing Liuzhu might give them away, Liuying told her to stay inside, then, together with Madam Chang and the other servants, went out to greet Su Hong. “Greetings, Master.”

“Where is the young lady? I need to see her,” Su Hong said, noting the tightly shut doors and windows. Some of the servants were visibly trembling, which narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Had something happened to Su Liluo?

“The young lady is resting in her room. The cold weather has given her a cough, and after breakfast she went to sleep. She hasn’t awakened yet. Perhaps Master might come back later?” Liuying said, her head bowed and hands clenched tight.

Su Hong found the servants’ behavior odd. With a wave of his broad hand, he strode forward and pushed open the door. Liuying could not stop him and, as he entered, her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor.

Inside, he saw a maid kneeling and shivering on the ground. His suspicions deepened. He stepped around the screen and found the bed curtains lowered. In a gentle voice, he called, “Liluo, your father has come to see you.”

There was not a stir from within the bed. With a sweep of his hand, Su Hong lifted the curtain, only to find it empty. His voice thundered, “Where is the young lady? You wretches dare hide this from me! Are you tired of living?”

“Please spare us, Master, spare us!” The servants knelt in the courtyard, trembling and begging for mercy.

Enraged, Su Hong kicked the nearest servant. “Speak! Where is the young lady?”

A young maid, shaking, answered, “Please spare us, Master. The young lady has left the residence.”

She collapsed to the ground the moment she finished. Liuying and Liuzhu watched her, their hearts in turmoil, praying for Su Liluo's swift return.

Su Hong let out a cold laugh. “So, this is your loyalty. You let the young lady leave without permission. Come, beat them all! Let them know who rules this household!”

His attendant immediately brought more men. The courtyard rang with cries of pain as Liuzhu and Liuying clenched their teeth, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

As Su Liluo neared her courtyard, she noticed an unusual silence. The maids who usually swept the leaves at this hour were nowhere to be seen. She hesitated, stepped inside, and gently opened the door. “Liuzhu, Liuying, I’m back. Everything’s all right in the courtyard, isn’t it—Father!”

She froze at the sight of Su Hong standing in her room, then hurriedly knelt, panic in her eyes. “Father, what brings you here?”

“How dare you! Leaving the residence without permission—Su Liluo, who gave you such audacity? And your maids! They dared conceal your absence!” Su Hong’s face was livid, his hand pounding the table.

With her eyes tightly shut, Su Liluo realized at last why the maids had vanished—they were suffering because of her.

“Father, this is all my fault alone. I am willing to accept punishment, but I beg you to spare my maids. They are innocent,” Su Liluo pleaded, banging her forehead on the ground.

“See to yourself first! Go to the ancestral hall and kneel. No dinner for you. You seem plenty spirited. If there’s a next time, you won’t need those legs—they’ll be broken, and I’ll see if you still have a mind to run about.” With a swirl of his sleeve, Su Hong stormed out. Su Liluo wiped her tears, her heart aching for Liuzhu and Liuying, whose fates were uncertain.

Though furious, Su Hong held back from inflicting severe punishment. The thought of Su Liluo's unusual stubbornness rekindled his anger. “If not for the King of Jin, I’d have taught her a lesson she’d never forget.”

Confined to the ancestral hall, Su Liluo sat before rows of ancestral tablets, grumbling, “Life in this ancient era is too troublesome. A woman has neither status nor power. Unlike modern times, one even gets punished for stepping outside. Is there no humanity at all?”

Having spent the day teaching dance, Su Liluo was already hungry when she returned, and now, being sent straight to the ancestral hall, she hadn’t even managed to sneak a snack. Rubbing her grumbling stomach, she tried to comfort it. “Hush now, it’ll be over soon. Next time I’ll remember to hide some food in advance.”

Footsteps approached. Su Liluo straightened up, her gaze lowered. A timid voice sounded from behind, “Big Sister.”

Turning, she saw Su Dongxuan and asked in surprise, “Why are you here, little sister?”

Su Dongxuan walked over, took a steamed bun from her sleeve, and pressed it into Su Liluo’s hand. Haltingly, she said, “Big Sister… I was afraid you’d be hungry, so I came to check on you… Eat quickly, before anyone finds out.”

“You’re so kind, Fifth Sister.” Su Liluo took a big bite. The bun was still warm, and with food in her belly, her hunger finally abated.

Once she’d eaten, Su Liluo remembered her maids and asked anxiously, “Fifth Sister, could I trouble you with something? Can you find out where my maids are now?”

Su Dongxuan reassured her, “Don’t worry, Sister. They were beaten by Father but are just lying in bed recovering.”

Su Liluo breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness they weren’t sold off. Thank you, Sister. But we’ve never been especially close—why did you risk coming to help me? Aren’t you afraid Father will punish you if he finds out?”

Tears welled in Su Dongxuan’s eyes as she replied softly, “You once protected me, Sister. I have never forgotten it. Today is the first chance I’ve had to repay your kindness.”

Su Liluo had not expected her sister to be so deeply grateful. She choked up. “You’ve helped me when I most needed it. I will never forget your kindness. Now hurry back, before someone sees you and you’re punished for no reason.”