Princess Xiangsi - Chapter 183
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Volume 3: Truth and Falsehood, Palace Turmoil, Three Men 2
Fengbing Palace.
About two hours later, the carriage finally arrived at Fengbing Palace.
Fengbing Palace is situated on high ground, making it very cool in the summer. It is a grand place with gorgeous furnishings and ingenious design, making it a perfect place to escape the summer heat.
Qingyun looked up at the vermilion plaque above the gate, where four large, gleaming gold characters were engraved—Fengbing Palace. She remembered that she was young then, and the palace tutor hadn't yet taught her to read. When her father, mother, and she arrived at this palace, she pointed to the four characters with her rosy little finger and asked her father what they meant. Her father's eyes were filled with loving kindness. He picked her up, patted her head, and told her that the four characters were Fengbing Palace. The phoenix is reborn from the ashes, and his daughter, whether in fire or ice, can also be reborn.
By the time Qingyun and the others had settled in, it was already dark. Dinner was also prepared in the main hall.
Because Situ Xingyun was always frugal, the dishes on the table were not as numerous as they usually were in the palace. They were only slightly more abundant.
Perhaps because Jun Wuhen was there, a minor friction occurred when they sat down.
It was certain that Yu Wuxia would sit next to Situ Xingyun, while there were at most two seats next to Qingyun. The problem was that there were three men present, and all three were behaving very childishly, insisting on sitting next to Qingyun. As a result, aside from Yu Wuxia, the remaining four were standing, staring at each other. This left Qingyun feeling awkward, unsure whether to sit or stand.
In the end, Qingyun chose a seat against the wall, and the seat next to her was given to Yu Wuxia.
Now dinner was truly beginning.
Just as Qingyun picked up her chopsticks to take some food, something unbelievable happened at the dinner table.
Three pairs of chopsticks simultaneously reached for the plate of chestnut chicken. Upon seeing this, the three men were momentarily stunned, exchanged glances, and the tension in the hall returned. Then, with lightning speed, each of the three men picked up a piece of chestnut chicken and placed it into Qingyun's bowl.
"Xue'er, have some chestnut chicken."
"Yun'er, this is your favorite chestnut chicken."
"Woman, eat chicken."
The three voices spoke at the same time, and then the three men exchanged glances again, the tension growing stronger.
Qingyun wanted to look up at the sky and sigh.
One man is a blessing, two men are a curse, and three men are a flood. Now, she is acutely aware of the feeling of being overwhelmed by a flood.
The palace maids in the imperial palace, seeing such a rare sight, all stared at the woman in white before them, envying her good fortune in love.
Suddenly, Qingyun noticed the dull and lifeless eyes of Wuxia beside her.
"Wuxia, here, your favorite osmanthus fish strips."
Wu Xiao fluttered her eyelashes and nodded in thanks, "Thank you, Sister Qingyun."
At this moment, Situ Xingyun seemed to realize that he had neglected the mother of his child. He scooped some Mingzhu Tofu into Yu Wuxia's bowl. Even without saying a word, Wuxia's face immediately blossomed into a bright smile.
The smell of gunpowder in the main hall gradually subsided.
Qingyun began to enjoy her dinner in a pleasant mood.
Soon after, Jun Wuhen said to Yu Wuxia, "Wuxia, how is your zither playing now?"
Yu Wuxia smiled sweetly, "You'll have to ask Sister Qingyun about that. My zither skills were all taught by Sister Qingyun."
When Qingyun heard the word "qin" (a type of zither), her eyes dimmed slightly, but she immediately smiled and said, "Wuxia has always been very talented, and with her diligent practice, she has naturally made rapid progress. Perhaps Wuxia's qin skills have even surpassed those of the number one qin player in Fengxi."
"No way! Sister Qingyun, you flatter me too much." Wuxia lowered her eyebrows, but her eyes were full of smiles. "Sister Qingyun's zither skills are unparalleled. Every time I hear Sister Qingyun's zither music, I feel as if I have fallen into Sister Qingyun's world."
Yu Wuxia smiled, her lips pursed and her eyebrows arched, speaking with great enthusiasm, as if she could hear Qingyun's zither music right now.
"Xue'er, it's been a long time since I've heard you play the zither. There happens to be a famous zither in the palace that has been passed down from previous emperors. Would you like to give it a try?"
Qingyun's eyes lit up, and just as she was about to nod, she saw Lige's disapproving look.
Her vision blurred, and thinking that she couldn't disappoint Li Ge, she finally shook her head.
"No, I don't feel like playing the piano for a while."
Hearing Qingyun's tone, Lige felt as if her heart had been violently ripped apart.
"Then let's play it again next time!" Situ Xingyun smiled, unaware of the inappropriateness in Qingyun's tone.
However, Jun Wuhen noticed. He also saw the look in Li Ge's eyes when he looked at Qing Yun, and his blue eyes immediately turned deep.
After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to rest because they were tired from the carriage ride.
In the middle of the night, the Fengbing Palace was unusually quiet.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, the sound of the wind echoing throughout the valley.
Jun Wuhen tossed and turned in bed. His keen hearing made him feel unusually irritated by the sound of the wind. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would see Yun'er's every smile and frown; whenever he opened his eyes, he would hear Yun'er's every word.
Suddenly he remembered that Qingyun had eaten the chestnut chicken he had served her that evening, and Jun Wuhen grinned foolishly.
These are just trivial things, but now they seem so blissful.
Jun Wuhen suddenly realized a truth: happiness is made up of trivial things.
He recalled the time when Qingyun was in the detached palace.
They had performed the wedding ceremony, they had drunk the nuptial wine, they had slept in the same bed. He used to be able to see her sleeping face the moment he opened his eyes, he used to kiss her cold lips, he used to…
Suddenly, a strong thought came to Jun Wuhen's mind—he wanted to see her right now!