The game of tag began immediately as Lin Jingyuan started to chase after Lin Feilu.
The two children were having a great time together. In the distance, a palace maid was carrying a tray of tea and wine and she was walking towards the group. When she saw that the group of concubines was approaching closer and closer, she stood to the side, gave her salutations and waited for them to pass. Lin Feilu zipped through the crowd and ran past that palace maid. Lin Jingyuan chased after her and had somehow unintentionally bumped into the same palace maid. The palace maid lost her balance, and all the drinks she was holding spilled onto Imperial Concubine Jing who just happened to pass by in front of her.
The palace maid knelt down in a state of panic: “Please forgive me, milady! I beg for forgiveness!”
Imperial Concubine Jing’s new clothes were all wet. Inside, she was boiling with fury, but because the palace maid’s error was caused by the Fourth Imperial Prince, Consort Xian was watching their every move. Moreover, it was an auspicious day. The empress had a lenient personality and would not fault her palace maids for trivial mistakes. All Imperial Concubine Jing could do now was to endure through the situation.
The empress responded with a warm voice, “It’s not a problem, there is still some time left until the fireworks start. Imperial Concubine Jing should return for a change of clothes first. It is ill-advised to be out in the cold with such wet clothes.”
Imperial Concubine Jing bowed and excused herself, “I understand.”
The palace maid beside her led her back to change her clothes.
Before Imperial Concubine Jing left, she fixed her gaze towards the bamboo forest in the distance ahead. She seemed to be expecting something, but she was uncomfortable in her wet clothes, so she quickly followed the maid and left.
As Lin Feilu watched Imperial Concubine leave, she lowered her gaze and smiled.
The road to the Stargazing Court was a winding path. With how small each step a concubine takes to walk, it would require at least half an hour for them to reach their destination. Since Lin Jingyuan caused trouble just now, Consort Xian forbade him to run around again and forced him to stay by her side. On the other hand, Lin Nianzhi sneakily broke away from the front of the group and ran behind to accompany Lin Feilu.
Everyone was in high spirits as they talked and laughed the night away. As they were soon approaching the Stargazing Court, suddenly a shrill scream could be heard from the flower garden that was not too far away.
The scream was fleeting, then, only sounds of rustling movements could be heard. The group stopped walking. Standing in the front of the group was the empress, who frowned and asked, “What was that sound?”
Everyone shook their heads and looked towards the flower garden.
No one could see anything through the interweaving silhouettes of the forest’s bare branches. The empress ordered the palace servants around her, “Go and have a look.”
Two servants walked over into the flower garden with lamps in their hands.
As they approached the source of the scream, the servants were so shocked that they dropped their lamps on the ground. They immediately picked them up and hurried back to the empress.
Everyone was surprised when they saw this commotion. The empress frowned again and asked, “What did you see?”
Trembling, the palace servant replied, “Yo-… Your Majesty, it seems to be…a man and a woman…”
Before the servant could even finish his words, everyone who was present came to a realization as they turned pale with fright.
For a man and a woman to have a secret rendezvous in a bed of flowers — what else could they be doing?
The empress’s face sank and she sternly reprimanded: “Who dares to smear the decorum of the Imperial Palace?! Arrest them!”