Princess Xiangsi - Chapter 56
Volume One: Folk Songs of a Woman Named Qingyun
After the worship ceremony, when they returned to the palace from Xicheng, night had already fallen, and the servants in the palace had prepared dinner.
In the lobby.
Situ Xingyun, Feng Xue, and Shuang Die are having dinner.
Although the food was piping hot, the atmosphere remained cold and aloof. Feng Xue remained silent, while Situ Xingyun and Shuang Die focused solely on eating. The servants around them felt the chilling atmosphere.
Suddenly, Feng Xue seemed to remember something, and she broke the quiet atmosphere by asking, "What month is it now?"
The servant behind her quickly and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, it is already early February."
Feng Xue raised an eyebrow slightly, and a hint of joy flashed across her calm eyes, but Situ Xingyun beside her carefully caught this joy.
His brow furrowed slightly. Situ Xingyun was somewhat displeased.
Perhaps noticing Situ Xingyun's expression, Feng Xue said, "Spring is almost here!" Her soft tone gradually masked the joy on her face, and Feng Xue quietly ate her dinner again.
Suddenly, Shuangdie, who had been silent, frowned, then quickly covered her mouth as if she wanted to vomit. Her face was somewhat pale.
At this moment, Situ Xingyun noticed her and quickly patted her back, asking, "Die'er, what's wrong?"
Shuangdie forced a smile. "I probably caught a cold while paying respects this morning. I'll be fine after a rest. Your Highness, please don't worry."
Situ Xingyun frowned even more deeply and instructed the steward, "Go and fetch a doctor."
"Your Highness, Shuangdie will be fine after a rest. There's no need to trouble the doctor," Shuangdie said coquettishly.
“Die’er’s health is already weak. If she catches a cold, the consequences could be serious.” Situ Xingyun called over the maid who was serving Shuangdie, “Take the concubine back to Die Lou to rest.”
"Yes, Your Highness."
Just then, the steward's voice came from outside—"Your Highness, Eunuch Lan requests an audience."
"Send it quickly."
Just as Eunuch Lan entered, Shuangdie was about to leave through the door. Upon seeing Eunuch Lan, she nodded gently and said, "Eunuch Lan."
When Eunuch Lan first saw Shuangdie, he was immediately stunned. He wasn't amazed by Shuangdie's beauty, but rather by the pair of silver eyes he saw.
Grandpa Lan was completely stunned, a complex mix of emotions flashing in his weathered eyes.
It wasn't until Feng Xue coughed lightly that he came back to his senses. After looking Shuang Die up and down, Eunuch Lan immediately understood her identity. He nodded to Shuang Die and respectfully said, "Consort of the Princess."
Shuangdie nodded slightly in response. Then, supported by her maid, she left the hall.
Only Situ Xingyun, Feng Xue, Eunuch Lan, and a few servants remained in the hall.
Situ Xingyun's eyes were so deep they could drip ink. Seeing what had just happened, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, but his face remained calm and composed. He said indifferently, "Has Eunuch Lan ever met my concubine?"
Eunuch Lan was taken aback at first, then laughed and said, "I have never seen the Consort, but there are very few women with silver eyes in Fengxi."
"Hehe..." Feng Xue covered her mouth and chuckled, "The concubine is not a woman from the Yinmeng Mengsha tribe. Has Eunuch Lan still not given up after all these years?"
Before entering the palace, Eunuch Lan had a love affair with a woman from the Yinmeng tribe. However, the woman later died of illness, and Eunuch Lan was so heartbroken that he castrated himself to enter the palace.
"No...no...Princess, I...I..." Eunuch Lan looked embarrassed.
Situ Xingyun had also heard something about this matter. Hearing Feng Xue's laughter, his voice gradually became cheerful as well. "Eunuch Lan, what brings you here from afar?"
Eunuch Lan quickly seized the opportunity and said, "His Majesty has not seen the princess for many days and misses her dearly. Her Majesty the Empress also often thinks of the princess, so she specially sent me to invite the princess to stay in the palace for a few days."
Upon hearing this, Feng Xue felt a slight surge of joy.
Situ Xingyun frowned slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "His Majesty is currently unwell, and as his children, we should be by his side to serve him and show our filial piety."
Feng Xue nodded, "It's getting late now, and Father Emperor usually rests at this time. I'll go to the palace again tomorrow. Eunuch Lan, you should go back first."
"Yes. I'll take my leave for now."
After Eunuch Lan left, only Situ Xingyun and Feng Xue remained in the hall. The other servants retreated to one side and silently went about their business.
In the Prince's residence, one should not look at things one is not supposed to see. This has been their rule for many years.
Meanwhile, Feng Xue was focused on her dinner, her eyes fixed solely on the food. But in her heart, she was thinking: once she entered the palace, it would be her domain, and Situ Xingyun would have no chance to control her.
Situ Xingyun opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn't say anything. He could only vent his dissatisfaction by making a loud banging noise with the bowls and chopsticks.
Noticing his strange behavior, Feng Xue stopped picking up food with her chopsticks, glanced at him, and said, "Xingyun, is there something you want to tell me?"
Situ Xingyun was somewhat delighted, and he asked, somewhat irrelevantly, "Does Xue'er like the maple leaves of Maple City?"
Feng Xue put down her chopsticks and said indifferently, "I don't like it."
The servant standing nearby shivered and tightened his coat. This palace was getting colder and colder.
Situ Xingyun raised an eyebrow. "I heard that Xue'er used to love pear blossoms and maple leaves the most. Why don't you like them anymore?"
“People change, the moon waxes and wanes. That’s normal, isn’t it?” Feng Xue’s eyes were crystal clear as she stared intently at Situ Xingyun. “Besides, if you don’t like someone, you just don’t like them. There’s no reason.”
A moment of silence fell over the air. Feng Xue then stood up, nodded to Situ Xingyun, and said, "The Consort is unwell, Xingyun, please take good care of her! As for me, Xingyun, you don't need to worry about me. I'm perfectly fine."
Situ Xingyun's brows immediately furrowed tightly, showing his displeasure.
But Feng Xue didn't give him a chance to speak. As soon as she finished speaking, she walked out the door and left.