Lian Hua heard the noise, turned her head, and widened her eyes at the sudden commotion. Xiao Jizi and his two companions quickly protected her from the panicked crowd, ensuring she wasn’t pushed or jostled.
Just then, a round and plump eunuch appeared with a beaming smile. From seemingly nowhere, a scattered group of more than a dozen people emerged and swiftly surrounded the area, weaving through the crowd. In no time at all, the panicked masses were being efficiently directed and controlled.
Some who still tried to shove their way through were casually but firmly guided away by the arm, as if among familiar chums, with loud and enthusiastic chatter about treats bestowed by their masters, or invites to share good wine and dishes.
With the shoving subsided, the remaining people looked somewhat dazed, standing still and bringing a measure of calm to the scene, while the lion dance performers also stopped in their tracks.
Someone who had almost been trampled was helped up by the white fatty and others, who cheerfully said, "Aiya, we’ve got to be careful when enjoying the play, look how overjoyed you are."
The helped person repeatedly expressed their thanks.
The white fatty eunuch continued to utter auspicious phrases with a laughing voice, "Today the moon is full, and the Mid-Autumn pastries are sweet. Good fortune and happiness for another year. Let’s all be careful during the festivities. Look how our little show here turned into a performance of its own. Come on, lift that barrier, let the lion dance resume..."
Others began to laugh along, and the atmosphere became lively once more.
The broken railing was quickly carried away by several people.
The incident happened quickly and resolved just as fast; it seemed hardly to have begun before it was quelled, averting any major chaos.
Overall, everything appeared quite normal.
Lian Hua found the situation somewhat strange, unable to discern the reason behind it. She thought it best to leave.
Just as she was about to leave with Xiao Jizi and the others, the white fatty eunuch’s gaze landed on her, as if he had just noticed her, and his eyes lit up. He quickly trotted over to her.
Before Lian Hua could react, he blurted out a string of flattery, "Aiyo, from whence does this master come, lovelier than the moon in the sky? It’s the first time this servant has seen such a moving, radiant beauty with features as delicate as a painting, as fresh as a lotus out of water, as charming as blossoms and jade, unparalleled in elegance..."
Without becoming the least bit breathless, he ran up to her, bowed, and continued, "Greetings, master. This servant considers it an immense privilege to behold such a refined and ethereal beauty. My life is now complete by seeing your noble air..."
Lian Hua, not waiting for him to finish speaking, turned to her companions to inquire, "Xiao Jizi, am I being harassed?"
With all this talk of captivating beauty and charm, the flattery seemed quite frivolous.
Having been interrupted, Hu Miaomiao’s smile began to stiffen.
"Hm?" Xiao Jizi looked at the newcomer with confusion, unclear whether they faced a friend or foe. This person had just quelled a disturbance, which was a good thing, but seeing the master’s troubled expression and his overly familiar attitude, it was hard to say.
Xiao Qing, seeing the white fatty eunuch, stepped forward to block his view and said to Lian Hua, "Master, this person is strange. Perhaps we should leave."
Hu Miaomiao’s face stiffened momentarily, then he tried to explain, "No, little palace maid, I am not odd..."
Lian Hua nodded in agreement, "Indeed, smooth-talking and overly friendly types are surely no good. Let’s go. When we return, we must tell His Majesty about someone daring to flirt with me, and have him punished."
As she turned to leave towards the main entrance of Qianqiu Hall, she continued to lecture, "Xiao Linzi, you must be careful with people who are slick and overly jovial. Learn from me, and don’t be deceived..."
Hu Miaomiao, no longer smiling, frantically waved his hands trying to explain, "Master, no, this servant was praising you, not harassing you. I am not a bad person, I won’t smile anymore, if that helps—just don’t tell His Majesty, please!"
Xiao Linzi looked back one last time, keeping an image of Hu Miaomiao in his mind, then returned his gaze to Lian Hua and nodded deeply, "Rest assured, master, your servant will remember."
And he would tell His Majesty about someone harassing the master.
The group paid no attention to Hu Miaomiao’s words of defense; chatting among themselves, they walked away. Their voices, growing fainter with distance, continued to reach him:
"Master, did we forget to ask that eunuch’s name and where he’s stationed? It will be hard to find him if we want to hit him." the voice of the Little Palace Maid.
"Oh no, we were careless!" the voice of the Master.
"Master, shall I go back and ask?" the voice of the Young Eunuch.
"A good horse does not turn back to graze, let’s wait until next time," the voice of the Master.
"You truly are magnanimous, Master." "Our Master is the best."
"Not at all, modesty is key when we are away from home..."
Only Hu Miaomiao was left behind, watching the four people walk away while murmuring to himself: "This servant was complimenting, not teasing. How dare I? On my honor, I was merely asking if you wished to see the acrobats, servant here to clear the area for you..."
His voice got slower and lower until it turned into a mumble, as if talking to himself, with nobody around to hear him, leaving behind only loneliness.
"Sigh..." Hu Miaomiao felt disappointed. How did he end up appearing like the villain when he was actually a good person? They say you don’t slap a smiling face. Why wouldn’t the Master listen to him? Sigh.
Shaking his head while walking, Hu Miaomiao reached a corner, where an ordinary-looking eunuch silently approached and whispered, "Chief Steward, they’ve all been caught. Not one escaped."
Hu Miaomiao waved his hand, "Go, disperse. Keep a low profile and watch carefully."
"Yes," the ordinary-looking eunuch vanished immediately afterward.
Hu Miaomiao then resumed his usual joyful expression, looking thoughtfully at Qianqiu Hall.
His Majesty had given him explicit instructions to always have people ready to protect Master Lian.
They had already witnessed the chaos that occurred just now. Had Master Lian truly intended to go to the acrobatics show, they would have moved in advance to resolve the chaos before it could start.
But since Master Lian did not go there, they didn’t move prematurely and could capture all the troublemakers in one fell swoop.
When Noble Consort Xue arrived, everything was calm and quite different from what she had anticipated.
She cast a casual glance toward the west side of Qianqiu Hall; it still looked lively, but no Masters were heading over there. It seemed as if nothing had happened at all, everything retaining its usual appearance.
She felt puzzled. Earlier she had heard rumors that today there would be trouble. That’s why she specifically chose this Shichen to come, both avoiding the most chaotic time and arriving early enough to take control of the situation.
How come it seemed as if nothing had happened?
Suppressing the questions in her heart, she continued walking towards the interior of Qianqiu Hall.
Some people were already gathered inside the hall, especially the one from Canglan Court, who had arrived and was chatting happily with her servant, unabashedly laughing without a trace of the restraint and subtlety expected of Concubines.
A flash of disdain crossed the Noble Consort’s eyes. A Master should differ from a servant. Beauty Lian indeed knew how to win people’s hearts, even getting her servants to let go of their pride to curry favor. No wonder she could captivate His Majesty so thoroughly.
As the people in the hall noticed her, they came forward to greet her one after another.