coobybook Chapter 56, Section 056: Trap
Chapter 56, Section 056: Trap
Chapter 56 056 Trap
In the gilded pavilion at the center of the Dew-Drinking Garden, a chrysanthemum with a thousand blooms, resembling a water lily, is carefully nurtured in a flowerpot carved from white jade. Each petal of that chrysanthemum is a vibrant, flawless vermilion, each tipped with a touch of gold. Illuminated by the palace lanterns on either side, that gold appears like flowing water, radiating a different light from every angle.
This is a golden-topped ink lotus, a true masterpiece, and the most precious and priceless treasure in this Qionglin Garden. Normally, this golden-topped ink lotus is cared for by dedicated gardeners, and today is no exception. However, because it is the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two gardeners tending the flower are not as attentive as usual. Instead, they are sitting outside the pavilion, drinking wine and chatting about interesting tales from the streets, such as the Zhang family patriarch taking a concubine or the Li family's eldest daughter-in-law having an affair.
The two gardeners were chatting animatedly when suddenly they heard the sound of porcelain shattering coming from a corner of the Dew-Drinking Garden. The gardener surnamed Chen's expression changed drastically. "Could it be a rat?" he exclaimed.
They listened intently for a while, but to their surprise, all was quiet again. The gardener surnamed Fang sneered, "Drinking Dew Garden is perfectly clean. Where would a rat come from? Are you just imagining things because you've had too much to drink?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of something being smashed came from another direction.
Now neither of them dared to ignore it. They immediately put down their wine jugs and stood up: "Let's split up and take a look. If it really is rats, we mustn't let them get this way. If anything happens to the Golden Lotus, we'll both lose our heads!"
After the two of them left, a dark figure suddenly emerged from behind the artificial hill and silently walked towards the Golden Lotus.
***
The young eunuch led Ye Pianran through the corridor, bypassing the bustling garden and the pavilion by the stream, and headed towards a place opposite the imperial palace.
Throughout the journey, the eunuch kept his head down and walked forward, never turning back to speak to Ye Pianran. As the number of people around them dwindled, the environment grew quieter, and the terrain began to become more complex, Ye Pianran finally spoke up and asked:
"Father-in-law, where exactly did Young Master Ouyang invite me to meet?"
The young eunuch paused for a moment before replying, "Please be patient, young lady, we'll be there soon."
Crossing an arched bridge, they entered a grove of purple bamboo. Although the moonlight was bright tonight, the bamboo around them was so tall and dense that it only cast dappled shadows on the ground. The only light illuminating their path was the lamp in the young eunuch's hand. Ye Pianran wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt the young eunuch ahead of her was walking faster and faster; if she hadn't caught up in time, he would have disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.
Feeling uneasy, Ye Pianran called out, "Father-in-law, have we arrived?"
The young eunuch didn't answer. Ye Pianran frowned and could only quicken her pace to follow him. After a while, they finally emerged from the grove and stopped outside a garden called "Drinking Dew Garden".
"This is the place," the young eunuch said, handing the palace lantern to Ye Pianran. "Young Master Ouyang is waiting for you in the garden. I have other matters to attend to, so I will not keep you company any longer." After he finished speaking, he turned and left before Ye Pianran could react, so fast that she did not even have time to call him back.
Filled with doubt, Ye Pianran picked up the palace lantern in her hand and used the dim light to examine her surroundings.
Drinking Dew Garden? What kind of place is this? There are so many places to go in Qionglin Garden, why did Ouyang Shaoyu specifically choose this chrysanthemum garden? It's so remote...
"That's strange, the flowerpots on the southeast side aren't broken either... Is it a rat...? Wait, why do I see light outside the door..."
Intermittent conversations drifted from inside the garden, and footsteps approached. A chord within her was suddenly struck, and Ye Pianran instantly realized—
No! The eunuch only said that Ouyang Shaoyu was looking for her, so she followed him. But what if the person who sent the message wasn't Ouyang Shaoyu at all, but someone else?
Without a second thought, Ye Pianran immediately turned around and retraced her steps. Entering the bamboo grove again, her heart pounded. The surrounding bamboo shadows swayed, and the leaves rustled gently in the breeze, making a soft, whispering sound, as if many people were chasing after her.
As she ran, she realized that having a light in her hand would only attract more attention, so she blew out the lamp and threw it on the ground. Without anything to guide her, she followed her instincts and walked forward, not knowing how many turns she took or how many falls she made, before finally managing to leave the bamboo grove.
However, upon emerging, Ye Pianran discovered that the path ahead was not the one she had come by, but rather a winding trail leading to an unknown destination. In the distance, she saw a pavilion with a faint light at the end of the path. She glanced back at the shadowy trees, gritted her teeth, and ran towards the pavilion.
Unbeknownst to her, the moment she left the Purple Bamboo Grove, a cry of alarm suddenly rang out from the Dew Drinking Garden: "Oh no! The Golden Lotus on the Top of the Garden has withered!"