"The Holy King of Miao? What is he doing at the Princess's residence!" Princess Shuangxia was startled. Although Princess Shuangxia was of noble status, and Miao was merely a small place, the Holy King of Miao was, after all, the supreme king of Miao. No matter which country he went to, he would have to give him face. But hadn't this Holy King of Miao left with the former king of Miao and stayed in the capital all this time? "Yue'er, why does this Holy King of Miao want to see you?"
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "Grandmother, Yue'er doesn't know either. Aside from the beauty pageant, Yue'er has never seen the Miao Jiang Holy King before, and Yue'er is very puzzled." Moreover, Ouyang Yue's mind quickly turned to the beauty pageant's top ten to nine competition. During that competition, Zi Yi and the other four women tried to kill her as soon as they came on stage, and a grudge was formed afterward. However, Zi Er actually spoke up for her at a crucial moment. Ouyang Yue wondered if all of this was instigated by the Miao Jiang Holy King. In fact, Ouyang Yue was certain that if it weren't for this, would Zi Yi and the other four women dare to do such a thing? But the Miao Jiang Holy King's behavior was so strange that no one could figure out his true intentions.
"Please come in," Princess Shuangxia said, her brows furrowing.
Before long, the Miao Holy King walked in, dressed in a fiery red robe embroidered with strange patterns. His face was still painted with flamboyant totems. He bowed slightly and said, "Princess Shuangxia, Princess Mingyue."
"The presence of the Holy King of Miao Jiang at the Princess's residence is truly an honor. Please, have a seat." Princess Shuangxia said with a smile. Ouyang Yue gave a slight bow and said, "Mingyue greets the Holy King of Miao Jiang."
“Princess Mingyue, there’s no need for such formalities. Please sit down.” The three of them took their seats one after another. Princess Shuangxia smiled and said, “It turns out that the Holy King of Miaojiang has not returned to Miaojiang. This is truly a neglect. If His Majesty finds out, he will surely make proper arrangements for the Holy King. I wonder if the Holy King has been living comfortably in the capital these days.”
The Miao King simply said, "I have just arrived in the capital. Before that, I only took two of my men to tour several prefectures and counties in the Great Zhou Dynasty and see the scenery."
Shuangxia Changgong's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled and said, "Oh, I see. So the Holy King has such leisure and will. The Great Zhou Dynasty has many famous scenic spots. If the Holy King has not had enough fun, I will ask the Emperor and his concubine to accompany the Holy King to take a good stroll later."
The Miao King gave a faint smile: "I'm sorry to trouble Princess Shuangxia. I've been traveling quite a bit lately. I'd like to stay in the capital for a while before returning to Miao."
"Oh." Princess Shuangxia responded without speaking. The Miao King looked at Ouyang Yue, who was sitting quietly to the side, and said, "Princess Mingyue is about to get married. I have come here today to give Princess Mingyue a gift."
"I am grateful for the concern of the Holy King of Miao Jiang, but I dare not accept such praise." Ouyang Yue's eyes flashed, and she quickly declined.
The Miao King laughed, his eyes gazing at Ouyang Yue with a bewitching allure. His expression was demonic, possessing a captivating charm. Ouyang Yue's heart skipped a beat, not from attraction, but from a chilling tension that sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't see through the Miao King; he seemed shrouded in veils, an intangible quality that was utterly frustrating. And this man exuded danger: "Princess Mingyue, there's no need for formalities. I sent gifts to the Crown Prince and other princes at their weddings, so naturally, I must send this one as well."
Princess Shuangxia nodded slightly upon hearing this, and Ouyang Yue felt a little more at ease. Since this matter was true, the Miao Jiang Holy King might just be sending betrothal gifts to each of his princes for their weddings.
The Miao King clapped his hands, and one of the two maids behind him immediately took out a box. The box was not large, but it was very exquisite. The Miao King took it and opened it. Two beams of light shot out into the hall. Princess Shuangxia and Ouyang Yue couldn't help but look at the box. They saw two red, fist-sized beads inside the box radiating brilliant light, which was very captivating.
The Miao King smiled faintly, his voice surprisingly melodious: "I obtained these two beads by chance. I found them beautiful and kept them. I didn't bring many things with me this time, so I'll use them to celebrate Princess Mingyue's upcoming wedding."
Ouyang Yue immediately replied with a smile, "How could Mingyue accept such a valuable item? I appreciate the Holy King's kindness, but I cannot accept the gift."
"Oh, Princess Mingyue, you're underestimating me. Once my things are given away, there's no chance of them being returned." The Holy King of Miao Jiang frowned slightly, his eyes darkening.
Just as Ouyang Yue was about to say something, Princess Shuangxia laughed and said, "Since the Holy King is so kind, Yue'er, you should accept it. It wouldn't be good to go against the Holy King's wishes."
The Miao King's expression softened, and he nodded with a smile: "Princess Shuangxia is right. This thing is nothing to me, but this bead is quite peculiar. Princess Mingyue can study it carefully in the future. Who knows what wonderful discoveries she might make?"
Princess Shuangxia and Ouyang Yue exchanged a glance. The Miao Jiang Holy King's words clearly had a hidden meaning. At this moment, the Miao Jiang Holy King stood up and said, "Since that's the case, I won't disturb you any longer. I just returned to the capital to rest for a few more days before leaving."
"This palace will see the Holy King off." Princess Shuangxia and Ouyang Yue both stood up and escorted the Holy King of Miao Jiang to the outside of the mansion. Watching the Holy King of Miao Jiang's simple carriage slowly leave, the two exchanged a glance.
Ouyang Yue said, "Grandmother, what do you think this Miao Jiang Holy King means?"
"Let's go to the government office first and then talk."
The two returned to Frost Snow Pavilion, and Princess Frostfall said, "Bring that box here so I can take a look."
The servant immediately handed it over, and Ouyang Yue sat down next to her. Princess Shuangxia picked up the bead and placed it in the sunlight. She saw that the bead was made of a very unique material. Its exterior was very transparent and clear, but inside there was a layer of soft and beautiful red cloud that kept moving around, or like layers of red cotton wool. It was both very beautiful and very strange.
Princess Shuangxia frowned: "This bead doesn't look like a luminous pearl, but it's not made of ordinary jewelry or jade either."
Ouyang Yue was slightly surprised. The smooth surface of this thing seemed somewhat like glass, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't. Even among the many jewelry materials available today, she couldn't tell what this bead was. Princess Shuangxia said, "If this thing isn't something extremely worthless, then it must be a rare treasure." But she knew in her heart that the Holy King of Miao Jiang was, after all, the king of a country, and he would never give some scrap metal to a future queen. That would be too beneath him. This was definitely a treasure.
Ouyang Yue's heart tightened. He was giving her a priceless treasure? And what was this thing?
Ouyang Yue picked up the red bead and examined it carefully, but still couldn't figure it out. However, she felt that the bead seemed to have a familiar feeling, but she couldn't quite put her finger on how familiar it was. It was just an indescribable, strange feeling.
Meanwhile, at the Prince Chen's residence, a convoy of people rushed back as fast as it could. Baili Chen, covered in dust from his journey, rushed into the residence and shouted, "Quickly, prepare a bath and change for this prince!" As soon as he rushed in, the other servants hurriedly followed him. Leng Sha, who was always by Baili Chen's side, was also covered in dust and looked tired.
After washing and dressing, Baili Chen asked Bai Heng, who had been standing to one side, "Is everything ready?"
"Your Highness, everything is ready. We can go to the Princess's residence at any time."
Bai Lichen looked at Leng Sha: "You should also make preparations. Bai Heng, take all the things to the Princess's residence." Then, with a somewhat cold expression, he said, "Has the banquet at the Princess's residence been held?"
"Reporting to the Seventh Prince, it's done."
Baili Chen looked unwell. He had gone out to resolve some issues, but some problems arose along the way, delaying his return for five days. He was anxious the whole way but still didn't make it in time. Although he could have had the banquet disrupted, he was afraid that the servants would not know their place and had incurred Ouyang Yue's displeasure, so he did not act rashly. However, he did not expect to return so late.
"Who were they chosen?"
"This servant just heard that there are two concubine daughters from the Ning family and two concubine daughters from the Fu family... ten people in total." Bai Heng continued, "Moreover, Princess Mingyue said beforehand that these people would not have any official status when they entered her household, and she would not stop anyone who wanted to leave in the future."
Baili Chen was taken aback for a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly, and then he curled his lips into a smile: "I knew Yue'er wouldn't do anything useless. Let's go, take the betrothal gifts to the princess's residence."
Indeed, the things Baili Chen had prepared were the formal betrothal gifts. He had spent the last five days preparing them, then worked through the night to finish them, finally completing the task. He intended to surprise Ouyang Yue, but a misunderstanding between them had made Baili Chen even more anxious. Originally, the betrothal gifts could have been delivered in another half month, but he couldn't wait any longer. Although his wife didn't seem too angry to the point of losing her temper, there was still a misunderstanding, and it was best to resolve it as soon as possible, otherwise the misunderstanding would easily deepen. He had already wasted five precious days of his time, so he couldn't delay any longer and had to go to the princess's residence immediately.
At that moment, more than ten large red boxes arrived at the princess's residence, escorted by two teams of people.
Ouyang Yue had already returned to Liuyun Pavilion when she heard the news and was taken aback: "Sending the betrothal gifts? Isn't it still more than ten days away?"
Chuncao remained silent, still somewhat indignant, but Dongxue said, "Perhaps the Seventh Prince intends to apologize." She was naturally referring to the misunderstanding about the roster a few days ago.
Ouyang Yue glanced at Dong Xue, who had a fleeting look of guilt in her eyes. Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes and stood up with a smile: "Alright, help me change and do my makeup."
"Yes, Princess."
When Ouyang Yue arrived at Shuangxue Pavilion, Princess Shuangxia was already seated in the upper seat, while Baili Chen was seated in the lower seat, staring at Xuanyuan Chaohua on his right. Outside, there were many guards standing in two rows, each carrying a box. Ouyang Yue walked in with a smile and said to Princess Shuangxia, "Grandmother."
"Yes, you're here. Please have a seat."
Ouyang Yue smiled and looked at Baili Chen: "Mingyue greets the Seventh Prince."
Baili Chen's expression changed, and he immediately put on a pitiful look, as if he had been dealt a blow. Ouyang Yue turned her head as if it were nothing, but the corners of her mouth pursed slightly, and a hint of resentment flashed in her eyes. This guy used to come immediately whenever something happened. She had deliberately delayed the banquet by five days, and not only did he not come to explain to her beforehand, but he even came right after the banquet ended. What did this mean? Was he so happy that she had found a woman for him? So he couldn't wait to come and deliver the betrothal gifts today? Was this a way of praising her for doing a good job?
Ouyang Yue pursed her lips even deeper, her expression calm, but her eyes grew colder and colder because of her own thoughts.
Baili Chen stared intently at Ouyang Yue, noticing her subtle expression. He inwardly cursed; sure enough, the delay had upset his wife, and explaining now would be troublesome. Baili Chen felt bitter and resentful. Although he knew his third brother meant well, and he wanted to know if his wife agreed with his idea, which was why he hadn't crossed out the ten women, he hadn't expected her reaction to be so strong. And now he'd been delayed for five days—this was truly a problem!
Xuan Yuan Chaohua smiled slightly upon seeing this. Did she think no one wanted her sister? Now, with a single call from her, everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty would be scrambling to get her. His sister would never have trouble finding a husband. It would be better if they broke up in the end, so he wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable seeing this bastard.
Bai Lichen looked anxious as he quickly thought of an explanation. Xuan Yuanchaohua, seeing Bai Lichen's demeanor, felt a sense of satisfaction. It seemed that this guy did care about his sister after all. He wanted to see how he planned to explain himself!
☆、173, Explanation: Oh, I see! (Excellent)
Baili Chen laughed: "Grand Aunt, today I, your grandson, have come to deliver betrothal gifts."
Princess Shuangxia nodded: "Yes, but it will be fine to send the betrothal gifts in another half month. Why is Chen'er in such a hurry?"
Baili Chen couldn't help but look at Ouyang Yue, but the latter just looked at him calmly, without any emotion. Baili Chen said, "Reporting to my great-aunt, in fact, my grandson should have arrived five days ago."
Xuanyuan Chaohua couldn't help but interject, "Oh, but it's five days from now."
Bai Lichen said, "Yes, I went to pick up a betrothal gift and was delayed for five days on the way."
Xuan Yuan Chaohua was somewhat skeptical: "Oh, is it really such a coincidence?"
Bai Lichen looked at Xuan Yuanchaohua and said, "I can understand why my brother-in-law doesn't believe me. After all, things happened so suddenly, and I would never lie to you."
Princess Shuangxia couldn't help but ask, "What happened that caused the delay?"
Although Princess Shuangxia is a member of the royal family and has different feelings towards the royal family, she is obviously closer to Ouyang Yue than to Baili Chen, and she loves her more. In this matter, she values her granddaughter the most.
"The matter is just a little troublesome, but not a big deal. Fortunately, we arrived as quickly as possible. I hope my great-aunt, brother-in-law, and Mingyue will take a look at my betrothal gifts." Baili Chen said with a slight smile. Ouyang Yuexin felt a strange look, but when she looked at Baili Chen, he no longer had the expression he had just had. Was she just being paranoid?
"Bring them up." Princess Shuangxia waved her hand, and two of Baili Chen's attendants carried a Shuangzi box into the room. The not-so-small Shuangxue Pavilion was filled with boxes.
"Open!" Baili Chen said, and with a series of "crackling" sounds, more than ten boxes were opened one after another. Some were large boxes containing smaller boxes, while others were simply piled with jewels. The entire hall was instantly swallowed up by a sea of colors. Even Princess Shuangxia and Xuanyuan Chaohua were stunned, and Ouyang Yue's heart also skipped a beat.
These dozen or so boxes were arranged in a categorized manner. For example, one box near Xuan Yuan Chaohua's was a large box containing smaller boxes. One small box contained a dozen or so South China Sea pearls, each the size of a baby's fist. Then there were eight boxes in total, ranging from large to small. Although the number and size of the pearls varied, they were all top-quality jewels with rich colors. Some boxes contained seven-colored gemstones, in red, blue, green, purple, black, yellow, and cyan. There were also ten sets of the most fashionable jewelry in the capital. Two boxes contained silks and satins, two boxes contained beautifully made garments, two pairs of the finest blood coral, and one box contained rouge, face powder, purses, and a top-quality gilded incense burner and incense balls. These dozen or so boxes contained everything that could be called famous, and each box was worth at least ten thousand taels of silver. These betrothal gifts were simply astronomical. Even the Crown Prince would not be as willing to spend so much as Baili Chen.
From Princess Shuangxia and Xuanyuan Chaohua's perspective, let alone the value of these items, it wouldn't be easy to gather them all. Some of the jewels among them were simply not available within the Great Zhou territory, indicating that a great deal of effort had been put into their collection.
Bai Lichen said, "I had been collecting these betrothal gifts for a year, and started taking them back one by one six months ago. This last box, however, is worth more than half the total value of all these items."
"You're exaggerating. What's inside?" Xuan Yuan Chaohua snorted lightly, his expression seemingly improving. He glanced at the dozen or so boxes present, which were worth at least three or four hundred thousand taels of silver, and the last one was worth more than half of that value. He found it hard to believe.
Baili Chen walked over and personally opened the box. With a "snap," the box opened, and the hall was immediately bathed in a beautiful light, as if a divine miracle had descended. The dazzling light emitted caused everyone in the hall to gasp in surprise. Even Ouyang Yue showed surprise and clenched her fists slightly. Baili Chen then picked up the contents of the box, which immediately appeared even more three-dimensional and breathtaking.
It was a wedding dress, an absolutely beautiful one. The undergarment was a red embroidered gown with phoenixes flying around it, every detail exquisitely crafted, every embroidery lifelike. The phoenixes on the front and back seemed to take flight, exuding a majestic and noble beauty. However, compared to its preciousness, the undergarment paled in comparison to the outer gown. The outer gown was simply a net-like gold overcoat, the entire garment outlined in auspicious shapes like magpies with silk threads. Every edge of each shape was inlaid with gemstones and other rare stones—at least a hundred at a glance.
The most surprising thing was the phoenix crown. Needless to say, it was filled with top-quality jewels, but at the very front was a huge, extremely transparent and shiny gemstone. Ouyang Yue was stunned: "A diamond."
This gold nugget was enormous; even today, it would be a museum piece, unaffordable for most collectors. This was especially true in ancient times when trade was less developed. Surrounding it were other nuggets the size of fingernails forming a pouch-like shape, with green, red, blue, and purple gemstones arranged to resemble leaves and other shapes. From a distance, it looked like a beautiful, blooming lotus flower, radiating extraordinary light. Its unique and ingenious design was truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Princess Shuangxia and Xuanyuan Chaohua both fell silent. They were both worldly-wise and experienced, and ordinary treasures could not move them. However, the betrothal gifts prepared by Baili Chen were indeed very precious, and anyone could see that this dowry had been carefully made. Would he have done this if he didn't care? Of course, treasures cannot represent everything, but they could feel the sincerity behind it.
Ouyang Yue's expression shifted slightly. She glanced at Baili Chen before lowering her head without speaking. A flicker of emotion crossed Baili Chen's eyes, and a hint of bitterness crossed his face. He then laughed and chatted with Princess Shuangxia and Xuanyuan Chaohua. Afterward, the betrothal gifts that Baili Chen had sent were all taken to the storeroom of Ouyang Yue's Liuyun Pavilion. Combined with the things that Ouyang Yue herself possessed, they filled two and a half storerooms. It's hard to say whether even the Fu family of the First Imperial Merchant had this much stock of jewelry.
However, Ouyang Yue stood silently on Liuyun Pavilion, looking down. Shuangxue Pavilion, Chaohua Pavilion, and Liuyun Pavilion stood side by side, forming the tallest buildings in the Princess's residence. From here, Ouyang Yue could see Baili Chen constantly glancing towards the Princess's residence. When Baili Chen left earlier, Ouyang Yue hadn't seen him off. She lowered her brows slightly, stretched out her hand, and in her open hand was a white note: "Night, wait for me."
Ouyang Yue felt a lingering hesitancy. While Baili Chen's preparations showed he cared for her, it still wasn't enough; she felt it didn't fully demonstrate his sincerity. Ouyang Yue pressed her lips tightly together. She seemed to be growing increasingly greedy. She used to disbelieve in love and men altogether. What had changed her? She was now wavering so easily over a man—this was so unlike her. Being controlled by others wasn't pleasant, and why Baili Chen, of all people?
That night, all was quiet, and Liuyun Pavilion was also enveloped in a peaceful tranquility. The exquisite pavilion shimmered with a soft light under the moonlight, like a jade pagoda. However, all the doors and windows of Liuyun Pavilion were tightly closed, leaving no gaps.
A soft thud echoed in Ouyang Yue's boudoir. The person inside the bed curtains seemed oblivious, sleeping peacefully. A dark figure in the boudoir stood up, looked around, walked to the bed curtains, looked at them, but did not reach out to lift them. Instead, he let out a barely perceptible sigh and stood there motionless.
After an unknown amount of time, the person on the bed suddenly rolled over, leaping up like a carp leaping out of the water. Their hands and feet kicked out with incredible speed, but the person outside the bed curtains remained motionless. Suddenly, the person inside the bed curtains reached into the pillow and grabbed a gleaming, cold dagger, thrusting it rapidly through the curtains. Yet, the dark figure remained motionless.
"Hmph, you're quite confident, knowing I won't kill you!" the person inside the bed curtains said coldly. The dagger in their hand moved swiftly, already pressing towards the shadowy figure, the sharp blade aimed straight for the person's neck, while the person inside the bed curtains didn't slow down at all.
"Plop!" A drop of water-like substance fell to the ground, followed by several more drops rolling down, instantly filling the room with a bloody smell, but the shadowy figure still did not stop or dodge.
With a swift "whoosh," the bed curtains were pulled open, revealing Ouyang Yue, fully dressed, her face cold and her eyes gleaming with a chilling light. She showed no signs of sleepiness whatsoever. In her pale hand, she held a dagger that gleamed with a sinister light, its tip aimed at someone's neck, from which blood trickled down. "You think I wouldn't dare kill you?" she said.
"No, I didn't think that way." The figure in the shadows finally spoke, his voice hoarse and deep. His eyes were extremely bright as he stared unblinkingly at Ouyang Yue, who in turn gazed back at him with a deep, unwavering look.
"So what? Are you looking for death now!" Ouyang Yue sneered as she looked at Baili Chen.
The latter simply looked at Ouyang Yue in silence, then said, "I just want to calm my wife down."
"Calm down? Your behavior is extremely foolish. Not only has it not calmed me down, it has also disgusted me," Ouyang Yue said coldly.
Bai Lichen remained silent: "Wife, let's go somewhere together, to a cave in the mountains outside the city."
Ouyang Yue couldn't help but chuckle, wanting to use that place to coax her, but she slightly parted her lips and said, "Okay."
It was the same place, the same cave, but this time the feeling was completely different from the last. Both of them were silent. When they arrived at the cave, Baili Chen took Ouyang Yue's hand and slowly sat down on a rock. However, they remained silent. Ouyang Yue simply lowered her eyes, while Baili Chen didn't know what to say.
They hadn't counted how much time had passed when Baili Chen suddenly said, "My mother passed away after giving birth to me. I was very young then, and I often stayed alone in the vast Chenyu Palace. As a small child, I felt that the Chenyu Palace was far too huge, so huge that it was terrifying."
Ouyang Yue listened silently: "That child never felt any fatherly love or maternal family growing up. From a young age, he was surrounded by people who plotted to harm him. As a child, he felt as if everyone around him was trying to kill him, except for his own brother who cared about him. But he was different from his brother and the other brothers. They received the best education, while he was forgotten and even abandoned. He didn't know how many people were in his family—a few? Thousands? Tens of thousands? But the only person he could trust was his own brother."
"But they don't live together normally, and their daily routines are different. His older brother is very busy, busy studying with his other half-brothers, busy working hard for the future, while he just tries to be well-behaved so that his brother won't worry and he can get his father to pay more attention to him." Baili Chen's voice was a little low, and his eyes were a little dazed, as if he was thinking about something.
"However, that child never had that chance. He had never seen his father before he was five years old, not even once. His father had never spoken a word to him. He only heard from his older brother that his father was a very brave and extraordinary person. Later, the child was drugged and went through a period of confusion and silence until the toxins hidden in his body took effect. He finally got his father's attention, but what awaited him then was being sent far away."
Bai Lichen looked at Ouyang Yue: "I've said these things before, you're probably tired of hearing them."
Ouyang Yue remained silent. Baili Chen, with his eyes lowered, said, "In my past life, only my third brother was kind to me. Oh, and later there was also the old monk Minghui, but he was just an old monk, and there were many things I couldn't tell him. The only people I could trust were those two. Although I've done many things for my third brother over the years, none of it can compare to his care for me. He's my own brother, and I'm willing to do anything for him, including some of his requests. In the past, I felt that everything he asked me to say was perfectly reasonable because we are brothers. He is the person I trust most and the person who cares about me the most. Everything he does is for my own good."
Ouyang Yue remained silent. Baili Chen turned his head away. Ouyang Yue suddenly asked, "What did your third brother do during your cold poisoning?"