The Devious First Daughter

Chapter 77. Petals in bathwater

Everything in front of her was not the usual scenery which one would see in the palace.

Ning Xueyan did not know how she stumbled upon this place. What was this place? The scorched weeds showed evidence of a recent fire. There were some blackened stones and half-burnt planks which had a few words on them. Unfortunately, it was too badly burned, so she could not see what the original words were.

On the half-wall in front of her, some yellowing weeds sprouted intermittently Although it was already spring, the plants did not grow well and were all withered and dry. The crooked pillars were the only props that supported the half-ruined palace. One side had totally collapsed, and the other was already crumbling to pieces.

From the fire scars and the weeds, it was evident that this palace had been burned sometime ago. It should be the ruins of a burned palace from the previous dynasty. No one knew why it had not been repaired and appeared so run down, amidst such a prosperous palace.

Somehow, Ning Xueyan felt an impulse to enter the rundown palace.

"Young Lady." Seeing her stepping forward, Lanning hurriedly pulled at her clothes and stopped her. "Young Lady, we don't know what this place is. We'd better not go in."

What was the imperial palace? It was the most imposing place in the world. How about the palace in front of them? It only showed collapse and decline, which was totally not in keeping with the image of the imperial palace. However, it was still around and seemed to have been there for many years. It would not have existed, if it was not due to some special reason.

This kind of place was often dangerous!

"I won't go in there. I'll take a look from the outside." Ning Xueyan nodded, knowing that Lanning was right. She walked a few steps closer and frowned slightly. It was such a desolate and eerie place. Nobody could ever imagine that such a place existed within the palace. Furthermore, what was the sigh she heard earlier?

"Your Grace, it's time for us to go back." A gentle voice came from behind the wall and reached their ears. There was someone behind the wall, and it sounded like an imperial concubine.

Ning Xueyan stopped and hid behind a pillar. The pillar was so big that no one could see them. The more they knew, the quicker death beckoned. Added to this was the fact that they were in the palace. In such an eerie place, the things they encountered seemed very weird and more dangerous.

Although she was curious, Ning Xueyan was not stupid.

There was another sigh, so faint that it was almost lost in the wind. If she had not been listening carefully, Ning Xueyan would not have heard it. It was very slight.

"Your Grace, it's time to go back. You have not taken your medicine yet, and the emperor may come back later. When he sees that you have not taken your medicine, he will punish me." The palace maid sounded a little scared, and there was a bit of pleading in her voice. One could tell that she was terrified.

The palace maid would be punished, if the imperial concubine did not take her medicine. It was conceivable that she must be a favored imperial concubine. However, why did the imperial concubine come to such a desolate place?

"Let's go!" Her voice was gentle and filled with bitterness. It sounded fine, but was also a bit intriguing. Ning Xueyan shrank deeper and closer, and she peeped out furtively.

Two women appeared at the gate of the burned down palace.

A woman, who looked like a palace maid, was supporting another lady. She must be the former "Your Grace."

The woman was in a light purple palace dress, with her long hair tied up high, in the popular style in the palace. Ning Xueyan had come across several imperial concubines dressing up like this, in the hall. They were both dignified and graceful. However, the woman wore a long light-colored veil to hide her face, only revealing a pair of beautiful eyes.