Naluo had been on edge for the past few days, but fortunately, the second prince hadn't caused her any more trouble. She finally let out a small breath of relief, thinking that he must have believed she wasn't involved in the runaway horse incident. However, Naluo had a lingering feeling that this suspicious man wouldn't let things go so easily.
One day, the princess consort asked her to deliver something to the second princess, and on the way, she happened to run into the crown prince, Istah. Since his confession of love, it had been some time since they last saw each other. Their unexpected meeting left them both speechless, and they simply gazed at one another, the air between them thick with unspoken affection.
Istah glanced around and quickly pulled her into a secluded spot, his voice urgent as he asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, really. No need to worry," Naluo said with a smile.
Istah frowned. "How could I not worry? All I want is to bring you to my side as soon as possible. Only when you're with me will I feel at ease."
Naluo shook her head firmly. "No, you can't. The emperor has such high hopes for you right now. You can't risk that because of me."
Istah sighed softly, his voice low and tender. "Naluo, your concerns will always be my top priority. Everything I'm striving for, it's all for you. Don't you understand that?"
A blush crept across Naluo's cheeks as she lowered her voice. "I understand. But, master, you shouldn't be so hasty. You need to focus on the bigger picture. I'm doing fine with the princess consort, truly. As long as I can see the hope ahead, I don't mind waiting, no matter how long it takes."
Istah couldn't help but smile. "Still calling me 'master'? From now on, when we're alone, call me by my name."
With a bit of bashfulness and joy in her heart, Naluo lowered her gaze and whispered, "Istah…"
From his angle, Istah could see the soft curve of her brow, the delicate flutter of her eyelashes, the tender blush on her cheeks. She was a perfect balance of grace and allure, an irresistible beauty.
His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he was tempted to kiss her eyes. But he held back, suppressing the surge of emotion. Instead, he gently pinched her earlobe, tenderly, affectionately.
Naluo lifted her head, meeting his gaze. His amber eyes seemed to shine even brighter in the soft autumn light, as if they'd captured all the warmth of the setting sun.
The evening sun filtered through the thinning leaves, casting a golden glow around them, as if they were enveloped in a dreamy haze of happiness. Though brief, this fleeting moment felt utterly blissful.
Naluo hurriedly parted ways with Istha and continued on her way to deliver the items to the second princess. Once they had walked far enough away, a shadow quietly emerged from the corner. Angui hadn't meant to eavesdrop; he had already been standing there, quietly sorting through his thoughts.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he gazed at the sunlight filtering through the branches, dust particles dancing in the beams of light. He tried to focus on a single speck, only to watch it disappear almost immediately. Small targets are always easy to lose track of, but if the target is too conspicuous... A cold, fleeting smile played at Angui's lips, then vanished without a trace.
That evening, as usual, Angui came to greet Princess Dana. Her health had greatly improved since Hulukugu's comforting words, and she was now mostly recovered. Upon seeing him, the princess quickly dismissed the servants and asked eagerly, "Have you found anything? Is Naluo involved?"
Angui sat calmly across from her, answering unhurriedly, "I did suspect Naluo at first, given her unusual relationship with the crown prince. But we've never spoken of the Ferghana horse incident in the palace, so it rules out the possibility of her overhearing and telling them. The only explanation is that someone snuck into where the horses are kept. However, the palace guards have no record of her leaving, and she had witnesses who confirmed she stayed in the palace that night… So, while her suspicion is great, her actual involvement seems unlikely."
"Then there's someone else?" the princess frowned. "In any case, it must be that woman and the Marquis of Chuhe who orchestrated this!"
"Mother, although we're at a disadvantage this time, there's no need to worry. I've found a way to turn things around," Angui said confidently, his exquisite green eyes gleaming with a sharp edge.
The princess still seemed a bit uncertain. "Is that really true?"
"Just wait and see, Mother," Angui smiled. "But I may need a small favor from you."
"Angui, there's something else I need to tell you," Princess Dana lowered her voice and shared the news that the Han Emperor was planning to attack Dayuan, and that the Xiongnu wanted Loulan to get involved.
Angui, who never liked the Han, immediately supported the idea, "The strength of the Han dynasty has been growing in recent years, and it's understandable that Father would be cautious. However, their army will be exhausted from the long journey, and their combat power will inevitably be diminished. We don't have to face their main forces head-on; why not seize the opportunity and take advantage of the situation?"
Princess Dana smiled, "Angui, you always know what I'm thinking. I told His Majesty the same thing yesterday, and he has agreed to intervene when the time comes."
Angui pondered for a moment, "In that case, the Han army should be passing by Loulan in just a few days."
"Yes, I'm rather looking forward to it," the princess said with a playful smile.
Time slipped by quietly, the sun set in the west, and darkness silently fell over the land. More than twenty days passed in the blink of an eye. The leaves in the courtyard had gradually withered, and the occasional gust of wind caused the last few to flutter down from the branches. By now, Naro was certain that the Second Prince would no longer trouble her. Under Usma's guidance, she had even learned to stitch a few wobbly patterns.
"Usma, look at this! What do you think of my embroidery?" She proudly waved the cloth in her hand.
Usma didn't even glance at it. "I can't tell what it's supposed to be."
"Hey, at least take a look—" Her words were cut short by the sudden bang of the door being flung open.
Standing in the doorway was Lady Chuyue, flanked by two burly palace maids. "Take her away," Chuyue commanded coldly, pointing at Naro.
Before Naro could react, the two maids seized her. Usma rushed forward, panicking. "Chuyue! What has she done wrong?"
"She committed a crime, obviously. Otherwise, I wouldn't be taking her," Chuyue replied with an icy smile. "Move aside, unless you want to be punished too."
"Don't! Usma, this has nothing to do with you. I'll go with them." Naro shot Usma a meaningful glance, signaling her not to act rashly. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong—there was nothing to fear.
Reluctantly, Usma stepped aside, still unwilling to give up. "Where are you taking her?" she demanded.
Chuyue gave a cruel smile. "Don't you know? The place where palace staff are punished for their mistakes." With that, she led Naro out, and Usma's voice faded into the distance behind them, "Naro, wait! I'll go find the Crown Prince!"
At Chuyue's final words, Naro's heart sank. The infamous punishment ground—Dongyuan—was rumored to be a terrifying place. Yet, what puzzled her most wasn't Chuyue's sudden hostility, but rather—who had ordered her to act?
Could it be the Queen? But the Queen had always hidden her true intentions well. Why would she expose herself now? Was it Chuyue acting on her own out of personal grudge? No, Chuyue hated her, but not enough to risk such bold action. Ruling out these possibilities, there was only one person left… A chill ran down Naro's spine, freezing her in place. Could it be that the Second Prince had discovered something?
Naro steeled herself. If they asked her about the blind horse incident, she wouldn't utter a single word.
The moment they entered a small room on the left side of Dongyuan, the faint scent of blood reached Naro's nose. The dim room was filled with shadows, and on the gray walls hung dark, sinister-looking instruments of torture, some still stained with traces of dried blood. Naro shuddered involuntarily.
"Lady Chuyue, what crime have I committed?" she couldn't help but ask, hoping this was all a misunderstanding and that she could escape from this dreadful place.
"Very well, I'll be direct." Chuyue lifted Naro's chin, her gaze gleaming with intent. "Do you know anything about that incident? If you're smart, you'll confess now. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens next."
So it *was* about that incident. Naro's heart tightened, but she had already resolved to say nothing. She smiled faintly. "I'm afraid I'm too foolish to understand what you're talking about."
"Still so defiant?" Chu Yue sneered, raising her hand to deliver a slap. Luo's face burned, and she soon felt the blood trickling from her nose and the corner of her mouth.
"If you don't behave, I might let you experience something more interesting," Chu Yue said, her gaze drifting to the menacing instruments of torture hanging on the wall.
Luo was naturally terrified, her heart pounding with anxiety. However, she wouldn't let Chu Yue see her fear. Instead, the slap seemed to ignite a stubborn defiance deep within her, and she chose to remain silent, glaring at Chu Yue.
Chu Yue laughed in exasperation. "Very well, you've got spirit. Begin the torture!"
As a pair of palace maids brought out the pincers, Luo's heart sank. Rumor had it that these instruments could cripple a person's fingers. Chu Yue waved the pincers in front of her face with a feigned sympathetic smile. "Beg for mercy now, or else…"
Luo turned her head away, too disdainful to respond.
"Execute the punishment!" Chu Yue barked. She yanked Luo's hair, forcing her face up, while two palace maids clamped the pincers onto her fingers and squeezed with force. An excruciating pain surged through Luo, and she couldn't help but let out a scream, cold sweat streaming down her forehead, her fingers feeling as though they were being burned by fire.
"Chu Yue, I'm afraid she might not endure much longer…" one of the maids whispered.
"What's to fear? She won't die," Chu Yue said, swinging a wooden mallet and striking the pincers, tightening them further. Luo's hands were soon a mess of blood and flesh, the blood dripping onto the floor like beads from a broken string.
Luo gritted her teeth, her vision blurring, but for some reason, the image of Ista's gentle smile appeared in her mind. Thinking of his face made the pain seem less unbearable.
"Still defiant?!" Chu Yue, seeing that she refused to yield, threw down the mallet in frustration. "Get out! I'll handle this myself!"
The palace maids exchanged worried glances and hurriedly exited the room.
Chu Yue slammed the door shut, forcing Luo to lift her face and sneered, "I've never liked you, you lowly servant. Don't think that just because the princess is protecting you, you can escape unscathed. This time, you'll have your share of suffering." Her gaze suddenly fell on Luo's chest—the peacock stone had fallen out, shimmering with unparalleled beauty in the dim light.
Chu Yue's eyes lit up as she snatched the peacock stone. Muttering to herself, she said, "Such a fine gem is wasted on you. Do you even deserve this?"
Luo felt a chill in her chest as the precious stone was ripped away. If she had endured everything up to now, losing this gem, which was more precious than life itself, crossed the line. It was her sole comfort from a lonely childhood, her secret solace during nights of suffering, a glimmer in the dark, and a warmth in the cold—a symbol of her deepest wishes.
It was her lifelong talisman.
Suddenly fueled by an unexpected strength, Luo lifted her leg and kicked Chu Yue with all her might. Chu Yue, caught off guard by Luo's defiance, was knocked sprawling. Before Chu Yue could react, she lunged at Luo, throttling her with ferocious intensity.
Struggling for breath, Luo's hands flailed on the ground until she accidentally touched the wooden mallet. Desperate, she grabbed it and swung it at Chu Yue's head.
With a dull thud, Chu Yue collapsed to the floor like a ragdoll. Luo quickly pushed her aside and checked her breathing, relieved to find she was still alive. Exhausted, she sank to the floor.
At that moment, the door was kicked open with a resounding crash, and a familiar figure stormed in, radiating fury.