Outside the locked Chuxiu Palace, Lu Qiange looked up at the sky, feeling aggrieved inwardly.

The night sky was still gloomy and the damp and cold air enveloped the imperial city. Occasionally night hawks flew over the treetops and made a sad cry.

Not long ago, he took off his ordinary official suit of the imperial bodyguard and was promoted, but he offended Empress and was sent back to the ordinary Honour Guards' Campsite with an excuse. How could he tolerate this when he thinking of it? What was more, he, a master of Kungfu, had to guard the Palace behind him alone, which was shaped like Cold Palace.

With nothing to do this night, Lu Qiange took his saber and strolled around the towering red walls outside the palatial garden to kill time.

He clearly remembered that Chuxiu Palace was the place where Tu Muxue worked as a chief maid.

Now she went to the Eastern Depot and there was no news about her. No one knew how her life was going.

Thinking back to many past events, Lu Qiange walked to the courtyard wall on the north side of Chuxiu Palace and suddenly saw a black figure passing by five meters away. His movement was swift like a lightning and hardly able to be caught by people with poor eyesight.

Bold thief! How dared he to come here when Lu Qiange was on duty?

Suddenly, the purple eyes condensed, quenching the cold and harsh light.

Lu Qiange chased after him and lifted the steel saber with a loud voice,

"Who are you?"

The black figure was not very tall and was dressed in night clothes. It was exquisite and graceful. His black hair was tied into a ponytail, wrapped in black silk, and covered with a black veil.

Seeing someone approaching, the man in black moved slightly stagnantly. He asked in the same low voice,

"Are you Brother Lu?"

"Tu Muxue?"

Lu Qiange was surprised, hurried a few steps closer, and asked in surprise,

"Why do you run into the Palace instead of going to bed in the middle of the night? His Majesty has ordered that people from the Eastern Depot are not allowed to enter or leave the Palace at will."

"I know."

Gu Yunxi pulled down the black veil and smiled embarrassedly.

Two days ago, she was angry with Master due to Wu Yong. Afterwards, she calmed down and felt that her actions were improper.

If she hadn't been stopped by Master at that time, she would have caused a catastrophe just because she was so anxious.

As the close guard of Master, she knew the law but violated it, and she was seen on the spot by Chiliarch and a few captains. Gu Yunxi felt consciously too shameless to stay in the Eastern Depot.

Until the middle of the night, she secretly changed her clothes and ran to an inn to book a guest room. After putting on night clothes, she sneaked into the Palace and wanted to visit Concubine Xu and Concubine Yu.

When she arrived at Jingyang Palace, Gu Yunxi leaned on the eaves of the side room and watched the movement of the Main Hall. There was a little fire shining through the window lattices and only a eunuch sat outside the hall and took a nap there.

It seemed that the person inside had fallen asleep.

At this time, she needed a lot of rest. Gu Yunxi knew that it was better not to disturb her, so after watching for a moment, she left and headed towards Chuxiu Palace.

The official suit of Honour Guards Lu Qiange wore made Gu Yunxi puzzled. She asked,

"Brother Lu, are you not in Kunning Palace?"

Lu Qiange chuckled slightly and bitterly, but pretended not to care. He put his arms around his chest,

"Young people naturally have to change jobs frequently and accumulate a lot of experience! By the way, you can run into the Palace alone, it seems that your Kungfu is also good."

Gu Yunxi didn't want to conceal her intentions from him. Her fine eyebrows were solemnly closed and her bright eyes revealed hatred light. She raised her eyes to look at the high wall and said in a cold voice,

"Master Xu was framed and confined here. She used to be my master and treated me very well. I can't help her but visit her when she is in trouble. Brother Lu, can you..."

"Okay, don't mention it," Lu Qiange waved his hand. "I respect people who know the gratitude the most in my life. Just go in. I see nothing tonight."

The girl was so touched that she folded her hands, "Thank you."

Lu Qiange smiled and immediately turned around, with a slight wind behind him. When he turned around again, there was no one in front.

Gu Yunxi reached the courtyard of Chuxiu Palace and saw that piles of dilapidated branches were everywhere. Windows and papers in the cabinet hall were damaged and the scent of birds and flowers in the past had become bleak.

Only one flame flickered in the cold side Palace hall, bringing a bit of warmth to this hellish cold and terrifying space.

In the orange light, two weak figures were reflected on the window lattice.

Gu Yunxi stared blankly and her mind was full of the past glory of this Palace. Suddenly, a pool of water glowed under her eyes.

She stepped lightly on her toes into the corridor. The door of the hall had been fastened by iron chains and only a window was left for ventilation. Those people must think that the two weak women here could hardly leave even if they had wings.

With the usual vigilance, Gu Yunxi looked around, opened the window, and squeezed the window frame with fingers, and got in.

"Who's there?"

There was a panic shout inside like a frightened bird trembling quickly until she could see Gu Yunxi's eyebrows and features.

"Are you Muxue?"

The master and servant stood up by the wall opposite the window with Jinzhu in front and Concubine Xu behind. Both of them were frightened.

"Don't panic, Your Grace. It's me."

Gu Yunxi dexterously tightened her soft limbs and jumped into the hall through the window. Her whole body was as light as a piece of paper. She didn't make any sound.

When the three met, everyone choked and couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Since being confined and deprived of the title, Concubine Xu didn’t have good food and clothing as before. The furnishings in the room were extremely simple. Except for Jinzhu who accompanied her by the side, other eunuchs and maids had also been sent to other places on duty.

The hardships of life reduced the stature of the master and servant. Gu Yunxi looked at them and suddenly felt miserable. She knelt down and burst into tears,

"Your Grace, Madam Jinzhu!"

Concubine Xu wore a plain skirt and her facial features were delicate and graceful. She had a cloud-shaped bun on her head and a plain hairpin. Although it was simple, she did not lose her demeanor.

Anyway, she came from a famous family. Even if she was demoted, her temperament remained and she was still beautiful and immaculate.

Her warm clear eyes cut the ripples of the water, with crystal teardrops. Her wet eyelashes jittered a few times and the corners of the woman's mouth twitched lightly, faintly releasing a faint arc,

"Muxue, why do you come here?"

She was so excited that she couldn't help expressing herself. She still had her usual faint expression, watching the sad girl kindly, and said with a smile,

"Get up, do you remember? I said I was not happy on others' knees."

The girl wiped her eyes stubbornly and shook her head like a rattle until she was lifted up by the woman.

Gu Yunxi helped Concubine Xu sit on the wooden chair with tears and squatted under her knees. She sobbed,

"Your Grace, you suffer wrong."

"How..."

Concubine Xu took it very calmly and the light of the water fluttered in her shallow eye. She said in a daze,

"In the deep Palace, I have done all the things and cannot make my own decision. Jieyu Jin's matter is retribution. I don't blame others. But I make Jinzhu suffer a lot and she has to accompany me here."

"Your Grace, what are you talking about? As long as I don't want to separate from you, it doesn't make any difference for me."

Jinzhu said sadly, raising her hand and wiping tears.

"Your Grace, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I come late. I can only stand idly in spite of knowing that Your Grace has been wronged. I'm sorry for you!"

Gu Yunxi confessed under the woman's feet and cried so hard that she could not cheer up.

She was fully capable of sending Wu Yong to Emperor to prove that the poor woman was not the manipulator of the "evil baby" and water poisoning case. However, considering the overall situation, she couldn’t act at will, so she fell into deep self-blame.

Concubine Xu didn't know the truth and she simply thought that her own desolate life made the girl sympathetic and grievous.

Pursing her lips and chuckling, Concubine Xu stroked the girl's black hair with warm fingers. She spoke lightly,

"Don't cry. Don't cry. I was sorry to you at that time. You served me a lot, and you did many things for me, but you were kicked out of the Palace by me. Muxue, do you hate me?"

Gu Yunxi sucked her nose and shook her head. Her voice revealed an inevitable cry,

“How can I hate you? Your Grace, you're kind. It is my blessing to serve you."

Her heart hurt severely at this moment. Concubine Xu suddenly stared and the hot and humid eyes underwent the shining light of the past,

"Okay, okay... You can come to visit me when I am in trouble. I am satisfied..."

The voice fainted like clouds in the sky, leaving a touch of sorrow and shock to the heart.

The girl's heart fluctuated violently, suddenly giving birth to a bad feeling.

Immediately she hugged Concubine Xu’s legs, crying and begging,

"Your Grace, what's done is done. You must take care of yourself. Please believe me and Master Leng. The Eastern Depot will soon unearth the mastermind behind a series of incidents and restore your innocence. Please take care! "

Concubine Xu smiled bitterly,

"Don't worry. I insist on not going to Cold Palace with my life just to wait for that day. If the injustice is undone, I won't seek death. Muxue, you can feel at ease on this point."

"OK!"

Gu Yunxi sincerely admired Concubine Xu's powerful heart. She squeezed a bleak smile and wipe away the tears.

After midnight, Jinzhu went to the bed and looked outside, turning around and saying,

"The water vapor is down. I'm afraid it will rain. Muxue, go back to the Eastern Depot and let Your Grace go to sleep earlier."

Concubine Xu looked reluctant and her pupils gradually focused and envied. She repeatedly watched the girl dressed up in black, who was indistinguishable free and easy, as if she wanted to deeply impress the girl's facial features in her memory at this moment.

"Your Grace..."

Gu Yunxi joined hands with her and she was reluctant to take a step.

"Go back, Muxue..."

Concubine Xu's nose suddenly became wet and red and her teary eyes were reflected in the slightly beating candlelight. She trembled,

"From the first day I saw you, I knew that you were not ordinary. I saw light in your body, so dazzling and so bright. It can shine into every dark corner of the deep Palace. That is your own strength."

"I will come to see you again. Wait for me and I will take you out of the confinement place."

Gu Yunxi stepped on the window sill and looked back at the master and servant in the room when she turned over and went out.

At that moment, Concubine Xu's eyes were shining and she smiled quietly, standing upright. It suddenly gave the girl an extremely strong sense of shock.

It might be an illusion. Her heartbeat sped up inexplicably and she had an illusion in her mind for an instant. Looking back at this moment, it seemed like an eternal determination...

Lifting her body lightly, she crossed the red wall and fell to Lu Qiange's side.

"Thank you."

Gu Yunxi thanked him with a hoarse voice.

Lu Qiange frowned and immediately noticed the small but swollen eyes,

"Did you cry?"

Gu Yunxi bowed her head, still immersed in grief, and couldn't get out of it. She whispered,

"Well, seeing that the former master is in trouble, I can't help but..."

"That's right," Lu Qiange cast his gaze towards the gloomy sky and sighed.

"This great Palace seems to be magnificent and beautiful, but it is actually made of bones and souls. There is sorrow and helplessness at every corner. It is better to be a commoner."

Gu Yunxi's eyes focused silently on somewhere and faint tears ran across her cheeks.

Lu Qiange turned his head to look, but was puzzled by the inexplicable feeling again.

Her intent expression was really too much like Yunxi.

It was this perplexity and charming wind that evoked Lu Qiange's deep feelings in his heart.

He stared at her blankly and slowly stretched out his hand, trying to wipe the tears from the girl's cheeks.

Unexpectedly, the girl reacted and quickly dodged. She was a little unhappy and asked,

"What are you doing!"