Ouyang Yue's vision blurred. In her two lifetimes, she had never seen a man with such a handsome face. The man wore a white dragon robe with a dragon body winding upwards on the robe, soaring on the clouds, majestic and noble.
He leaned gently against the artificial rock behind him, with a protruding rock next to him supporting his arm. He lazily propped his chin up, looking languid and somewhat sickly. The two qualities blended together, creating an inexplicably suitable and striking effect.
Putting all that aside, his appearance alone was enough to make even someone as composed as Ouyang Yue pause for a moment.
His face was like a crescent moon, his eyebrows like mountain peaks, his eyes like stars, and his lips like thin swords. His features, when put together, seemed to be a perfect creation made by a celestial being by accident. The only flaw was that his lips were too pale, and his face was as pale as a bedridden patient, making him look weak and frail.
However, after only a moment of stunned silence, Ouyang Yue immediately knelt down and said, "This commoner, Ouyang Yue, greets Your Highness the Seventh Prince."
This person was none other than the late Empress's second son, the Ninth Prince of the court. He was the sickest of the princes, often bedridden, which was why Ouyang Yue was so certain based on his complexion.
The man's thin lips curled slightly, his attention focused only on Ouyang Yue's dark hair. His eyes lowered slightly, landing on the now-stopped gold bracelet before he looked away, remaining silent for a long while.
Ouyang Yue's mind raced. The original owner of this body had no memories of the Seventh Prince. The two had never met or been connected before. The only explanation was that General Ouyang held a large army, and the Seventh Prince wanted to win her over, which was why he sent guards to rescue her just now.
Although Ouyang Yue is a modern person and has been educated in liberal democracy, as a special agent she needs to play different roles to complete missions, so the ancient kneeling ceremony is no big deal to her, and she can also accept the ancient class concept.
As a special agent, she had the skills to protect herself, but this was ancient times, where imperial power was supreme. The seventh prince had just saved her, and now he was looking at her without saying a word. She didn't know what he meant, but she couldn't ask. All she could do was wait!
Ouyang Yue remained quiet for a long time before the Seventh Prince spoke: "If you don't go out soon, the show outside will be over."
The Seventh Prince's words startled Ouyang Yue, who looked up to see him flick his sleeve and disappear into the rockery. Ouyang Yue's heart calmed down.
The Seventh Prince bestows favors without expecting anything in return?
No!
Are princes in the palace really this kind of person? If so, why did he save her, then cause Ning Xihai and the others to become like that, creating chaos?
Why did he act out of a desire to save her? Now that he's gone, she can't ask anymore, and besides, he's right, the show will end soon if they don't watch it now.
Ouyang Yue quickly disappeared into the artificial hill, her steps darting left and right. After a while, she turned a corner and entered a path on the other side, heading towards the pavilion.
Faced with Shang's questioning, Ning felt a headache for the first time. Regardless of whether Ning Xihai and the others were framed, Ouyang Hua, as a relative, had no reason to invite them to come and make a fool of themselves. Since she was in the wrong, Ning could only lower her head and apologize: "This was Hua'er's fault. It was my mistake to be lax in disciplining him. Sister-in-law, please don't be angry. I will teach him properly when we get back."
Shang Shi was still not satisfied. Several noblewomen were following behind her. She could keep this a secret, but it would also be easy for it to leak out. She would need to bribe them to keep them quiet, and she could already see the silver flowing out. Her gaze towards Ning Shi was still unpleasant: "Little sister-in-law, you two usually have such a good relationship. How could I blame you? It's just that this matter started with your concubine's daughter, and what happened afterward..."
"This is going to make her bleed," Ning glanced coldly at Ouyang Hua, but could only grit her teeth and accept the exploitation, replying with tightly pursed lips, "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know, sister-in-law!"
Shang's expression improved slightly, and just as she was about to say something, a joyful voice rang out: "Mother, you really are here! Yue'er has finally found you."
A green figure rushed over and grabbed Ning's sleeve, saying urgently, "Mother, Second Sister has offended the Second Princess and is being tortured. Mother, please go and plead for Second Sister's life!"
Ouyang Yue's words didn't elicit any agreement; instead, she was met with strange gazes, especially from Ouyang Hua and Ning Xihai. Ouyang Hua even exclaimed in surprise, "You... how come you only just got here from over there? Aren't you..."
Ouyang Yue was equally surprised: "Sister didn't go to pick up the handkerchief, she actually walked faster than me. It's all my fault, there was a fork in the road on the way here and I got lost when I turned in."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Hua almost lost control and called her an idiot. "Others can walk the same road without getting lost, but she gets lost. What else could she be but an idiot!"
Ouyang Hua was trembling with anger, and her gaze towards Ouyang Yue seemed to want to devour her.
Madam Shang sensed something was amiss and frowned, saying, "Oh, so it was the eldest young lady who picked up the handkerchief? Hai'er, are you sure it was the eldest young lady?"
Now that Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Yue each have their own version of events, it's natural to ask the parties involved. Ning Xihai looked at Ouyang Yue with a flash of hatred in his eyes, but just as he was about to accuse her, he saw Ouyang Yue slightly raise her hand, make a sweeping motion with her palm, and then suddenly clench her fist, looking at him with a cold smile.
Ning Xihai's eyes narrowed instantly, all his previous courage vanished, but fearing to offend Ouyang Hua, he could only look up at the latter, hesitantly saying, "This..."
She didn't utter a word for a long time, but the look in her eyes at Ouyang Hua made it clear that Shang Shi and Ning Shi were giving her another hateful glare. Ouyang Hua's face twitched, and she immediately grasped Ning Shi's hand: "Mother, I..."
"Mother, please go see Second Sister quickly! There are so many people in the Imperial Garden. If we go too late, not only will Second Sister's life be in danger, but it will also damage the reputation of the General's Mansion!" Ouyang Yue said first.
Upon hearing this, Madam Ning nodded and walked back, saying, "Yes, hurry to the Imperial Garden!" She then sneered at Ouyang Hua, "I'll settle the score with you when we get back to the manor!"
Since Lady Shang was related to the General's Mansion by marriage, she couldn't bear to see the General's Mansion lose face, so she nervously followed along. In her heart, she cursed, "This Lady Ning is useless. Her three daughters have all ruined their reputations. She's really good-for-nothing! She's even making the Ning family lose face with her. Humph!"
Ouyang Hua stood frozen in place, while Ning Xihai walked over with some shame and regret: "Cousin!"
"Hmph! Useless thing!" Ouyang Hua spat and left, seething with hatred. Ning Xihai gritted his teeth, feeling incredibly unlucky today. That bitch Ouyang Yue was actually saved by a prince. But then he suddenly felt something was off. He didn't even know which prince that was!
He was completely intimidated!
It's not entirely Ning Xihai's fault. Anyone who dares to fight in the palace must be someone from within the palace or someone of extremely high status. He remembered that the two guards were carrying weapons, but being beaten by an unknown person was a terrible experience. Unable to find the person, he held a grudge against Ouyang Yue.
When Madam Ning and the others arrived at the Imperial Garden, Ouyang Rou and Ning Xishan had already finished their fifty strokes of the rod. The two women lay on the ground without any decorum. Seeing everyone approaching, Baili Jing walked over with a charming smile: "General's wife, Madam Chief Secretary, you've arrived. Earlier, your two daughters offended this princess, and in a fit of anger, I ordered them to be punished. Now that I think about it, I was really impulsive, so I apologize to you both!"
"Princess, you mustn't!" Ning Shi and Shang Shi were so frightened that they immediately helped Baili Jing up.
Not only them, but everyone in the Imperial Garden had a change of expression.
This princess is really getting away with this. She hit someone and now she's condescending to apologize first. Hitting her is pointless, and besides, who would dare to make her apologize? They'd be asking for it!
☆、027, they're both shrewd and clever!
Ouyang Yue chuckled to herself. Sure enough, no one living in the palace was stupid. Although Baili Jing was ruthless, she could never get anyone to say no.
Originally, she could have let it go for the sake of their fathers, since Ouyang Rou and Ning Xishan had offended her. But Ouyang Rou insisted on being clever and trying to pin the blame on her, which was a slap in the face to Baili Jing!
If Baili Jing were to be spared, wouldn't that be telling the people in the Imperial Garden that she's a fool? The evidence is so obvious that she can still be spared. She's not that noble as a princess, so it's fine to be deceived!
How could someone as proud as Baili Jing tolerate this? This is what caused things to spiral out of control.
However, she couldn't directly offend the Ning family and the General's Mansion. Apologizing first made her appear magnanimous and maintained royal decorum, because she knew that the Ning and Shang families wouldn't dare accept the gift. So, it was pointless for Ouyang Rou and Ning Xishan to fight, and both families should remember that Baili Jing was magnanimous and didn't hold grudges.
Ouyang Rou and Ning Xishan were in pain all over their bodies. They were lying on the ground vomiting and vomiting blood. They were filled with hatred!
Ning Shi helped Baili Jing up, and respectfully bowed to her, saying, "Princess, you are of noble birth and of the highest rank. Even if they were innocent, they should not show the slightest disrespect to the princess. Your punishment is justified. I will certainly discipline them severely when I return!"
"What the General's wife says is true. I will certainly not let my ignorant daughter off lightly. Please do not blame me, Princess." Lady Shang also quickly apologized.
This is the difference between royalty and ministers.
Even high-ranking officials are always inferior to the royal family. Although the Ning family is one of the five great families, the current empress is the eldest daughter of the Lin family, which is the head of the five great families. Moreover, the empress has given birth to the crown prince, making her the most likely person to seize the throne. Even if Baili Jing is not at fault today, who would dare to blame her?
Seeing that Madam Ning and Madam Shang were so sensible, Baili Jing smiled slightly and looked up behind Madam Ning. When she saw Ouyang Yue standing there, she quickly took two steps and took Ouyang Yue's hand: "The Third Miss of the General's Mansion is indeed a good girl. She has not disappointed this princess."
Ouyang Yue looked terrified and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Highness is too kind; I dare not accept such praise."
Baili Jing smiled enigmatically: "If this princess says you're good, then you're good. What's there to refuse!" Her eyes held an unyielding intensity. Ouyang Yue lowered her head and remained silent, her eyes gradually darkening.
Baili Jing turned her head and smiled: "Cai Mei, let's go to the banquet."
"It's my second sister."
Then Baili Jing led her entourage away in a grand procession. Ouyang Yue looked up and saw a woman dressed in light pink who looked very respectful. She remembered that she was the fourth princess, Baili Cai, who had come with Baili Jing. However, she was barely noticeable next to Baili Jing.
At this moment, the servants from the General's Mansion and the Ning Mansion had helped Ouyang Rou and Ning Xishan up. The two had just been beaten and their bodies were like pieces of a broken tree. They could hardly walk without anyone's help. It was easy to enter the palace, but if they wanted to leave the palace on their own without the help of someone of higher status, people would not care. But if they did care, they would be in deep trouble.
Having just offended Baili Jing, the Ning and Shang families were afraid that Baili Jing would bring them up again at the banquet.
Ning's face was dark and sullen, her fists clenched tightly in anger, her lips trembling, but she forced back the fury that was about to spill out: "Cover the Second Miss's face with a veil, and have two people support her. Ouyang Rou, you'd better pray that the princess will calm down, otherwise... humph!"
“Mother, I…” Ouyang Rou’s eyes welled up with tears, and she bit her lip, looking very aggrieved and pitiful.
Ning looked on, her eyes growing even colder: "Shut up! Get out of here!"
As she spoke, she led her people toward the banquet. Madam Ning was furious, and Madam Shang's daughter was also angry because she had been beaten. Everyone else kept their distance when they saw this.
Ouyang Yue lagged slightly behind, walking behind, when she suddenly sensed a faint fragrance wafting over. It wasn't the perfume a woman wore, but a very refreshing scent, like the aroma of tender grass in early spring.
Ouyang Yue turned her head and saw Leng Caiwen fanning himself with an incredibly flamboyant air. When he saw Ouyang Yue looking over, he immediately put on what he considered a handsome smile. Ouyang Yue raised her eyebrows, looked up at Dai Yu behind him who had been silently observing her, and gave him a slight smile as a greeting.
Leng Caiwen's handsome face immediately fell, and he said with great dissatisfaction, "Miss Ouyang, why are you treating this person so differently? You actually treat this blockhead better than me? I was just speaking up for you."
Ouyang Yue's eyes curved into a smile as she asked in confusion, "Eh, didn't Young Master Leng only interrupt to watch the show?" Then she sighed, "To be honest, I was also in the midst of the commotion, and Young Master Leng was just watching me make a scene. The fact that I can have such a peaceful conversation with Young Master Leng shows that I am very magnanimous and kind. Why is Young Master Leng blaming me? I am so wronged."
"Uh..." Leng Caiwen suddenly choked, his eyes widening slightly. Good heavens, he thought he had just been a hero saving a beauty, but who knew that this beauty didn't appreciate it at all and instead blamed him for meddling. He was even more wronged!
Leng Caiwen frowned, her face full of sorrow. Ouyang Yue had already turned her head and quickly walked a few steps to catch up with Ning Shi.
Ouyang Yue didn't dislike Leng Caiwen, but since the original owner of this body had no contact with him either, she couldn't trust him just because he helped her.
Little did they know that after she walked away, Leng Caiwen and Dai Yu stared at her retreating figure for a long time: "Well, didn't I tell you she was interesting?"
Dai Yu nodded almost imperceptibly, her voice wooden, but what she said made people roll their eyes in anger: "Young Master Leng is so attentive, and there's still a woman who doesn't buy it. She's the first person to do so. It's truly amusing!"
"Hey, if you agree, fine, but why bring up my embarrassing moments? Is it so funny to laugh at me?!"
Dai Yu sighed softly, glancing at him indifferently, her eyes clearly saying, "You're only just realizing this?" Leng Caiqi snapped his fan shut and pressed on, arguing, "Dai Yu, explain yourself..."
The group moved to Yonghe Palace, where the banquet was to be held. All those attending the banquet had already entered, but Baili Jing and her group immediately attracted attention upon entering. They first bowed and greeted each other, and when they sat down, all eyes were clearly on Ning Shi and Shang Shi's group, especially on Ouyang Rou and Yu Xishan, who were being supported by maids. Their eyes were filled with mockery and whispers.
Both the General's Mansion and the Ning family felt humiliated and forced smiles. Ouyang Yue secretly glanced around and lingered on a white figure.
The Ninth Prince sat or reclined in his chair, his hand gently supporting his chin, his head bowed, as if the noise of the banquet had no effect on him whatsoever.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, and Consort Sun have arrived!" The eunuch's shrill announcement silenced Yonghe Palace, where everyone knelt and chanted in unison, "Welcome Your Majesty, Your Majesty, and Consort Sun."
As she knelt down, Ouyang Yue hadn't yet looked away when she saw Baili Chen still sitting quietly in the chair, seemingly oblivious to her presence. His rudeness was evident in this situation.
The Empress looked at Baili Chen and asked coldly, "Is the Seventh Prince feeling unwell?" She was clearly blaming him.
However, Baili Chen seemed not to hear, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately became heavy!
☆、028、The Strange Prince!
After all, the Seventh Prince had saved her life. Although she didn't know why, as someone who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment, she felt indebted to him. Ouyang Yue was nervous for him.
In just a moment, she lowered her head again. This seventh prince gave her a very mysterious feeling. He came from the palace, and even Baili Jing knew how to clean up his mess afterward. He shouldn't be really clueless.
The Empress, dressed in a phoenix robe and adorned with empress-level ornaments, exuded an aura of majesty befitting an empress. Beside her stood Consort Sun, also the eldest daughter of the Sun family, one of the five great noble families. However, Consort Sun possessed a completely different temperament from the Empress, appearing more flamboyant and alluring. At this moment, both women glanced at the Seventh Prince, their eyes flashing.
None of them said anything more. They turned around and followed the emperor, who was dressed in a dragon robe, to take their seats. Only after they were seated did Ouyang Yue get a clear look at the emperor's face.
His features are very regular and handsome, and his temperament is calm and dignified. If you didn't know, you would think he was a scholar or a great master. He has the air of a Confucian scholar.
But if you really think he's a scholar, you're wrong. His brows and eyes show the vicissitudes of time, yet he doesn't look old at all. His eyes are sharp and shrewd; wherever he sweeps his gaze, you immediately feel your breath catch in your throat.
This is the deterrent power that comes from sitting firmly on the throne for a long time, and it is precisely the power of the Great Zhou Dynasty emperor – Emperor Mingxian!
Everyone in the palace lowered their heads cautiously, feeling an invisible pressure. Emperor Mingxian's deep and authoritative voice rang out: "Seventh Prince, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Are you asleep?"
There was no discernible emotion in that voice. The most esteemed person in the Great Zhou Dynasty was Emperor Mingxian. The Seventh Prince's failure to kneel and pay his respects was a grave offense, even for a prince. This was a matter that could be considered a minor or major offense!
A black-clad guard behind the seventh prince immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Seventh Prince, Seventh Prince... wake up, the Emperor is here, Seventh Prince..."
Ouyang Yue felt extremely strange. Not only her, but everyone in Minghe Palace looked on with a bewildered expression. This Seventh Prince wanted to challenge the Emperor to his face? Even if rumors said the Emperor doted on him, he wouldn't be so audacious! Had he gone mad?!
However, before the murmurs could stop, they suddenly turned to horror. The seventh prince, who had been quietly bowing his head, seemed to have been awakened. He suddenly covered his mouth and coughed, his face turning from pale to an eerie red. After coughing a few times, he suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.
An eerie silence fell over the main hall, followed by a commotion as many of the Seventh Prince's neighbors cried out in alarm and began to inquire.