She had just picked up the thread when someone suddenly reached out from behind her and gave it a strong tug, snatching the thread out of her hand. The tiger's mouth was cut so sharply that blood slowly seeped out.

  Chao Sheng was startled and turned around to see Feng Yan standing behind her with a vicious look on her face.

  "I had just turned around and you've already stolen the thread I allocated for use!" Feng Yan glared at her: "Don't you take a look at your two stitches, are they worthy of using such thread?"

  Feng Yan's temper is considered not very good in this house, but when Chao Sheng took the thread just now, no one told her that the thread was picked by Feng Yan.

  Got it, but didn't show off and was plotted against by someone.

  Chao Sheng lowered her head and didn't say a word. Feng Yan made another sarcastic comment about her before storming off in anger.

  Chao Sheng has already been trained by her and she has mastered the skill of lowering her head, so dealing with this kind of small trouble is no problem.

  The problem now is that there is no green line in the house anymore.

  She thought for a moment, put away the gown first, and went to the warehouse to ask. Zhang Shi, who was in charge of the warehouse, was not easy to talk to, and she blocked Chao Sheng's way back with her nose upturned and her face sideways.

  Chao Sheng held the gown and stared blankly for a while, then found a ball of gray thread in the trunk.

  The relatively gentle English girl leaned over to take a look and was somewhat puzzled: "What are you embroidering?"

  "Bamboo."

  "Bamboo... is green." Yingniang said in a low voice: "Is this job urgent? Otherwise, I'll go to the left alley to find some thread for you."

  "Yes," said Chao Sheng as he smoothed out the thread with his hand and examined it carefully: "It's all right, just embroider it like this."

  The alley on the left may not be able to find a way out - besides, she can't wait that long either.

  Bamboo is certainly green.

  But this dress was originally light blue and had already been washed old, as plain as a mountain after the rain.

  It's clear that it's a good piece of clothing, with good material and workmanship. It's just that it's probably been several years already, the seams around the collar are slightly whitened from wear.

  After a spring rain in the empty mountains, clouds and mist obscure. The green bamboo in the fog can also be light gray in color.

  Chao Sheng remembered that when he was in college, he went to his classmate's hometown, which was a mountainous area in the south. The bamboo forest was so dense that it looked like a northern forest.

  ……

  She slightly lost her composure, then lowered her head and continued to embroider that mouth.

  This mending of clothes is not as easy as serving in front of the master, it won't be so easy to get into trouble. Besides, if it's really a big deal and an important person, the clothes wouldn't fall into her hands, there are those clever and high-handed people who would take over. These people in the inner house, no matter how they behave behind closed doors, still have to maintain a good image outside. If one person ruins a piece of clothing, the whole group's reputation will be ruined, and the punishment won't just fall on her alone. Chao Sheng knows that if someone in the left alley ruins the clothes while washing them, everyone in that courtyard will be punished.

  The finished clothes were first handed over to Liu Aunt for inspection. She was the leader of this group of people in the inner house, with a cold face and extremely strict personality.

  Liu Auntie frowned, and Chao Sheng felt a little nervous in his heart.

  Although this supplement can't be said to be flawless, it looks elegant anyway.

  As expected, Aunt Liu asked: "Why don't you take the green line?"

  Chao Sheng could only say: "There's none left in the house, and I didn't get any from the warehouse either."

  Liu Aunt narrowed her eyes, held the robe up to the light and looked at it, nodded reluctantly: "It's okay like this. Fortunately, this master is not so picky... Next time if anything is missing, come ask me, don't take matters into your own hands."

  Chao Sheng raised his head with some surprise, is this a preliminary confirmation?

  Yes, she certainly knew. She didn't get the line because the warehouse really didn't have it, Zhang was just bullying her for being new and inexperienced.

  Is Liu Auntie's words indicating that she has accepted her?

  No matter what, from now on, no one will ever dare to bully her openly again.

  Chao Sheng asked with a smile: "Auntie, I wonder who is the owner of this dress?"

  Liu Auntie glanced at her: "This is from Dongnei."

  Oh...

  Chao nodded slightly.

  The Eastern Palace is where all the unmarried imperial princes who are still minors live. The current emperor has many sons, and several of them reside in the Eastern Palace.

  But judging from the size of this robe, whose is it?

  Chao Sheng heard that at the end of the year, the sons of the empress and the noble consort were not very old, but this garment looked like it was made for an adult's figure, not a child's.

  Of course, apart from them, there were other princes in the East Palace. It's just that those few people had a low birth, some of whom were born to palace maids...

  This dress...

  At night before going to bed, Chao Sheng took out a cloth package from under his pillow.

  The bread in there was the only thing that followed her from Yunxia Palace to Huanyi Alley, that handkerchief.

  The texture of this handkerchief and clothes seems to be the same.

  Chao Sheng took out his handkerchief.

  At that time, she came to the alley where clothes were washed, and she had nothing on her body. Her clothes were all broken because of the stick punishment, and they were stained with blood, so she couldn't wear them again. The handkerchief was still there, and after washing and drying it, Man'er brought it back to her.

  It seems that all she has left of her past connections is this handkerchief.

  Today I was busy mending clothes and didn't think much. Now taking out the handkerchief for comparison, the material and color are all the same. However, the handkerchief doesn't look as old as the clothes.

  Is this handkerchief also from Dongnei?

  It's possible. In the past, the location of the Smoke and Cloud Palace was just separated from the East Inner by a palace alley, so this person might be someone from the East Inner...

  Chao Sheng tucked the quilt back in, lay down. She still slept by the window, but it was no longer cold outside, and the moonlight crept in through the gap between the windows, like a silver ribbon scattered on the ground.

  When the weather is cold, there's a charcoal brazier lit in the house, and the smoke irritates my eyes. But as soon as it gets hot, the room becomes sweltering, and I start sweating all over my hands and face, making it hard to even hold a needle steady. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, but unfortunately, the weather in Beijing is always either cold or hot, with spring and autumn being too short-lived. It seems like as soon as you take off your thick coat, you can already wear thin clothes, and padded jackets are hardly of any use.

  At the end of April, Zaiyu finally arrived.

  When he saw her, Chao Sheng only felt that the heart that had been hanging in the air finally fell back into his stomach. He leaned against the door frame and just smiled, unable to say a word.

  Zhai Zhu had lost some weight and looked around before beckoning her over.

  "I just went to the right alley and asked someone before I knew you were here." Cai Zhu said in a low voice, "How is it here? You look better than before." Cai Zhu reached out and pinched her face: "You've gained some weight."

  "How come you haven't been here for days? I've been thinking about you all along, wondering if something has happened to you..."

  "Hush, it's hard to say in one word, I'll tell you later." Cai Zhu leaned over and whispered: "I've heard some news."

  Chao Sheng opened his eyes wide and perked up his ears to listen.

  "Huan Xun is now working in Dongnei, she's fine, nothing's wrong."

  Chao Sheng couldn't help but feel overjoyed: "Really?"

  "Uh-huh!" Cai Zhu nodded vigorously: "Our master was sent by the empress to copy scriptures in the Longtai Temple for several months. When I went to fetch things and run errands, I often passed through the East Palace's garden, where I would occasionally meet Hanyun from afar. Unfortunately, we couldn't exchange more than a few words. I told her you're currently in Huanyi Alley, and she asked me to pass on a message... She said don't be impatient, think of a way slowly, and you'll eventually leave this place. She also told you not to worry about her, she's doing alright in the East Palace, and her chores aren't heavy."

  He clasped his hands together in front of his chest and bowed: "Thank goodness she's okay. Is there any news about the others?"

  Zhai Zhu hesitated for a moment, and Chao Sheng's heart sank slightly. He held her hand and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

  "Others... Huayan said she died at the end of the year."

  "Is he dead?"

  Other sounds seemed muffled and distant.

  Zhai Zhu was startled and pinched her hand hard: "Chao Sheng, Chao Sheng!"

  "How...how long ago was it?"

  "It was... at that time..." Cai Zhen said in a low voice: "Han Xun said she saw it with her own eyes, someone wrapped the body of Sui Mu in a quilt and carried it out at night..."

  How is this possible?

  How can the end of the year die?

  Zaiyu again reminded her: "You be more careful yourself, endure a little longer, everything will be fine."

  Chao Sheng nodded: "I know... I'm much better now, living in the inner house without sun and wind, and the work isn't so tiring. If you can still see Huan Xun, tell her I'm fine, don't worry about me."

  "Got it, I'll definitely tell her."

  Years passed... how could he have died? She had also thought that the person her mother entrusted to take care of her might be Suimeng...

  But at the end of the year, she was already dead?

  The tide comes and goes, thinking about this issue back and forth.

  Chen Fei and Sui Mu's relationship was not inferior to others, it can be said that although they were not sisters, they were like close relatives. Sui Mu worked diligently and carefully, Chen Fei also trusted her with a generous heart...

  Chen Fei's miscarriage was calculated by others, this is certain. However, no matter what, everyone in the Yunxia Palace may have ulterior motives, and that person cannot be Su Mu.

  Even if Chen Fei made a mistake at the end of the year, there was still fault in handling things, but...but that crime is not punishable by death?

  Even oneself is just a stick of responsibility, being demoted, why would one die at the end of the year?

  Was she murdered? Did she take her own life? Or was she harmed by someone else?

  In the sweltering weather, Cao Sheng was drenched in cold sweat.

  How deep was the water in that matter at first?

  Before she was caned, that Cao Gonggong said it was a message from Laogong.

  Isn't Imperial Consort Gong the most favored and trusted eunuch beside the Emperor?

  What's going on here?

  She felt desolate and fearful. Thinking of the many cares she had received at the end of the year, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken and unbearable.

  At that time, with a hint of longing in her eyes, she spoke of her yearning for the future. She said: "I would rather not be born into a noble family, nor die and be buried among the aristocracy..."

  She wants to leave the palace, to be filial to her parents, to get married...to have a home of her own, to take charge of her own affairs, and live a good life.

  At that time she was so close to her dreams, close enough... to clearly feel the joy of being free soon, counting down the days one by one, as if happiness was within reach.

  But just as happiness was within reach, she died.

  The place she wanted to go would never be reached.