Consort of a Thousand Faces

Su Xi-er rested in her room and only went out when it was time for dinner. Her mind was set on infiltrating the Laundry Service Bureau after scrubbing the chamber pots; something that Pei Qianhao’s threats couldn’t deter her from doing. 

 

However, she noticed that Lian Qiao was looking at her with a strange expression while she was eating dinner. Although she had a smiling expression, there was also a probing look mixed in with it. 

 

When Lian Qiao realised that Su Xi-er had spotted her, she immediately stowed her intentions away and smiled. “Su Xi-er, why don’t I scrub the chamber pots together with you tonight?”

 

“There’s no need for that with how few chamber pots there are these days. I don’t have to work too hard.” Su Xi-er flatly refused her. She then placed her bowl and chopsticks down before walking out of the dining hall and heading towards the southwest direction.

 

Lian Qiao was lost in her thoughts as she watched Su Xi-er’s departing figure. Only after the thin palace maid patted her shoulder did she come out of her trance.

 

The thin palace maid lowered her head and spoke softly into Lian Qiao’s ear. “I see you that you’re having a tough time hugging her thigh, so I’m going to give you an idea. If you want to scrub the chamber pots, just secretly follow her. What’s the point in talking to her so much?” The thin palace maid then got up and left.

 

Lian Qiao lowered her head and looked at the shining white rice grains in her bowl. After gazing at them for a while, an idea had already formed in her heart.

 

~~~

 

After arriving at the wooden cabin at the southwest side, Su Xi-er counted the chamber pots as she moved them. Hm? How come there are only ten? What on earth is going on? Are those masters not pooping and peeing recently?

 

Su Xi-er began to feel nauseous from her own thoughts. It’s a good thing that the numbers are few.

 

Placing ten chamber pots on the wooden board, she dragged them to the side of the well and pulled up a few buckets of water to pour into them. She followed up by mixing the Chinese honey locust water into the pots so that the overbearing stench soon became mild.

 

Picking up the brush and wetting it with Chinese honey locust water, Su Xi-er began to scrub the chamber pots.

 

Ten chamber pots will only take two hours at most, leaving me plenty of time to sneak into the Laundry Service Bureau.

 

Su Xi-er engrossed herself in scrubbing the chamber pots and finished even sooner than expected. Collecting well water again to give them a final rinse, she hauled them back to the wooden cabin at the southwest side.

 

Once everything was settled, she prepared to walk towards the direction of the Laundry Service Bureau.

 

However, she had only taken a few steps before she heard some faint sounds behind her.

Someone is tailing me. Biding her time, Su Xi-er turned back towards the well and pulled up another bucket of water, using it to slowly wash her arms as she waited for the person in hiding to reveal themselves. The calmer she appeared, the more anxious her visitor would be.