Seeing his indifferent reaction, Huan Changming gave an ambiguous snort, "Taking an inch and wanting a mile."
His words made it sound like he had withdrawn his decree to marry Jingyi because of Lu Pianpian, but Lu Pianpian knew in her heart that this matter had nothing to do with him. It was Huan Changming who felt sorry for Jingyi, and the two were in love, which allowed his senior sister to escape a calamity.
After a moment of silence, Huan Changming suddenly said, "If you want to see Qu Surou, you can."
"Really?" Lu Pianpian was somewhat skeptical.
“My word is law, and I always keep my word,” Huan Changming said in a deep voice. “But since I have fulfilled your request, shouldn’t you offer something in return?”
"I don't do business at a loss."
Lu Pianpian was silent for a moment, then said, "I have nothing, nothing to trade with you."
"All land under heaven belongs to the king, what is there that I cannot have?" Huan Changming cursed Lu Pianpian under his breath for being such a blockhead. "I only need you to promise one thing: even if you see Qu Surou, you must not have the thought of running away with her, otherwise you know the consequences..."
Lu Pianpian had long recognized his predicament. He was now a caged bird whose weakness had been exploited by Huan Changming. If Huan Changming hadn't taken pity on him and let him go one day, he would never have been able to escape.
"I won't run away."
Huan Changming hugged him tighter. "Lord Lu is kind and always keeps his promises. I hope he won't disappoint me this time either."
After returning to his residence, Jingyi asked His Majesty for leave and stayed at home to recuperate.
Several days passed in this way. Someone from His Majesty's side came to the Prime Minister's residence to deliver a message. Jingyi originally thought that His Majesty was summoning him to the palace, but unexpectedly, he was sent to bring Qu Surou into the palace.
Jingyi found it strange, so he asked the person who came, "Why did His Majesty summon her to the palace?"
The palace servant shook his head and said, "Prime Minister Jing, how could we servants possibly guess His Majesty's thoughts?"
Qu Surou was carried onto the carriage by the servants of the manor. Jing Yi lifted the curtain and glanced at Qu Surou. Qu Surou said to him, "Haven't we already broken off our engagement? Why are you still making me go to the palace?"
You'll see when you get there.
Jingyi lowered the curtain and said to the palace servants, "You must remember not to untie her on the road, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."
"Thank you for the pointer, Jingxiang!"
Jingyi stood at the gate of the mansion and watched the carriage leave. His eyes gradually darkened. If he guessed correctly, Qu Surou's entry into the palace must be related to Lu Pianpian.
Lu Pianpian waited in the hall for a long time until his senior sister, who was bound hand and foot, arrived. He rushed over and asked, "Senior sister, are you alright?"
"Pianpian, are you alright?" Qu Surou felt like crying when she saw Lu Pianpian. "I've been tied up these past few days, they haven't treated me like a human being at all!"
Lu Pianpian sighed inwardly, "I'll help you untie it..."
"Young Master Lu, His Majesty has said that you must not untie Miss Qu. Otherwise, you should be aware of the trouble that might ensue," the palace attendant reminded him.
Lu Pianpian paused, then picked up Qu Surou and placed her on a chair. "If she wants to take my pulse, shouldn't she at least have her hands untied?"
"this……"
"I won't let her cause any trouble."
Lu Pianpian untied Qu Surou's hands. As soon as Qu Surou's hands were free, she immediately tried to summon her sword, but Lu Pianpian stopped her and shook her head.
Qu Surou nodded hesitantly, then lifted Lu Pianpian's hand to take his pulse. After a while, she seemed to notice something amiss, a look of doubt flashing in her eyes, "This shouldn't be..."
Lu Pianpian was afraid that her senior sister would find out that she had lost her spiritual bone, so she hurriedly tried to withdraw her hand, but it was too late.
"Pianpian, why can't I sense the flow of spiritual energy within you?" Qu Surou asked urgently. "Is there something wrong with your spiritual bones?"
Lu Pianpian vehemently denied it, "No, it's probably because I was injured before and haven't recovered yet..."
Qu Surou didn't believe it at all; Lu Pianpian's pulse didn't seem to indicate that her injuries were hindering the flow of spiritual energy. Taking advantage of Lu Pianpian's inattention, she secretly channeled spiritual energy into her palm and reached towards Lu Pianpian's chest.
Lu Pianpian tried to back away but couldn't dodge. Qu Surou's tears instantly streamed down her face. "Where's your spirit bone...where did it go?"
"Where did you put something so important?!"
Lu Pianpian didn't know how to explain, but Qu Surou's emotions, which had been building up for days, collapsed in that instant.
She hugged Lu Pianpian and wailed, "How could you even lose your spirit bone... That was... that was as important as your life!"
"Senior sister, don't cry." Lu Pianpian patted Qu Surou's back. "I lost it by accident. Don't be sad because of my mistake."
"We finally get to see each other, and we haven't even had a proper chat..."
Qu Surou's tears kept falling. "Tell me, how did you lose it! Was it stolen by someone? Tell me, and I'll go get it back for you!"
Lu Pianpian gave Qu Surou a gentle smile, "Senior sister, you know better than I do. Once a spirit bone leaves the body, it's not something I can easily take back."
Unless Huan Changming voluntarily digs out the spirit bones and returns them to him, he will never be able to get his spirit bones back.
But given Huan Changming's temperament, if he knew that there was his spiritual bone in his body, how could he possibly return it to him?
That's just wishful thinking.
"Then what are you going to do? No spirit bone... no spirit bone... Have you been bullied by Huan Changming under his nose?" Qu Surou wiped away her tears. "No, I can't let you stay by his side any longer, Pianpian... Senior sister will take you away now!"
She pulled Lu Pianpian to leave, but when she turned her head, she saw Huan Changming's palanquin approaching the palace from afar outside the wide-open palace gates.
Lu Pianpian comforted Qu Surou and whispered, "Senior sister, junior brother's cultivation was completely destroyed because he was poisoned by Huan Changming. Junior brother and I are both in a difficult situation to escape from Huan Changming's hands... Now only you are safe and sound. Find a chance to escape and don't worry about us."
"But……"
"Senior sister! If you don't escape, we'll all die!" Lu Pianpian grasped Qu Surou's hand. "If you can escape, you can go back to the sect and ask our master to save us."
"Yes...you're right." Qu Surou calmed down. "Pianpian, your senior sister will definitely find a chance to escape and go to Master to ask him to come and save you..."
As soon as Huan Changming entered the hall, he saw Qu Surou and Lu Pianpian holding hands, looking like siblings with a deep affection for each other. He found it an eyesore and immediately wanted to drive Qu Surou away.
"Senior Sister Qu, how is Pianpian's condition?"
Hearing him call her "Pianpian" so casually, Qu Surou cursed him in her heart, saying, "We still need to take a look."
Huan Changming had someone bring a chair and sat down opposite the two of them. "Then please take your time reading, Senior Sister Qu."
Qu Surou turned her head and focused intently on taking Lu Pianpian's pulse. Her brows were furrowed as she whispered to Lu Pianpian, "You have multiple injuries in your body that you haven't been able to heal properly. The hidden dangers caused by those injuries are now slowly surfacing."
Huan Changming added, "He also coughs up blood frequently."
Qu Surou glared at him. "Please treat my junior brother well, so he suffers less and has a few peaceful days. Then he won't cough up blood so easily!"
Huan Changming opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Qu Surou rewrote a prescription, but the herbs on it were not commonly found. Huan Changming ordered people to find them. Turning back, he saw Qu Surou still holding Lu Pianpian's hand and stroking it. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Thank you for troubling Senior Sister Qu today. I will send someone to escort Senior Sister Qu back."
Lu Pianpian asked him, "Where are you going to send my senior sister?"
“Naturally, go back to where you came from.” Huan Changming said meaningfully, “Does Senior Sister Qu want to go back to the dungeon?”
At least at Jingyi's residence, she was served food and drink, and the servants treated her with respect. "I'm going to Jingyi's residence."
Lu Pianpian still added, "Senior sister, don't get too involved with Jingyi..."
"I understand." Qu Surou patted her chest. "I've remembered everything you said."
"Um."
Qu Surou was tied up again and sent back to Jingyi's residence.
Huan Changming saw that Lu Pianpian's eyes were full of reluctance. He hesitated for a few moments before finally saying, "As long as you listen to me, I will let you see her again."
Lu Pianpian walked up to him and said calmly, "Huan Changming, I am now a bird you have imprisoned in a cage. You have already forced me to do many things I don't want to do, yet you still think I am not obedient enough. What kind of person do you want to make me into before you are satisfied?"
Huan Changming was taken aback upon hearing this. He had never thought about what kind of person Lu Pianpian would be to satisfy him. He was simply following his heart and hoping that Lu Pianpian would stay obediently under his wing, abandon Huan Juntian and Qu Surou, stop opposing him, and have only him in her heart and eyes.
He wanted to say these words, but when the words reached his throat, he felt that they made him seem particularly insignificant.
Like a penniless prisoner, he waits patiently for someone to appear and redeem him from the dark and hopeless dungeon.
But he is already the Prince of Li, who possesses unparalleled honor! Why does he still have to look up and humbly yearn for Lu Pianpian to treat him differently?
He shouldn't be like this.
“You don’t need to know,” Huan Changming said in a deep voice. “A caged bird shouldn’t try to guess its master’s thoughts.”
Lu Pianpian stared at him silently for a long time, and finally said nothing more.
For the next period of time, Lu Pianpian behaved herself as Huan Changming had hoped, becoming a docile caged bird.
Without Lu Pianpian's confrontation with Huan Changming, the relationship between the two seemed to have eased considerably. At least there were no more incidents of swords drawn against each other, and the atmosphere in the entire hall became much more harmonious.
Winter solstice arrived in a flash, and light snow began to fall, covering the entire Li Palace with a layer of silver frost.
Lu Pianpian sat on the veranda outside the palace, looking up at the falling snow. He seemed to find it novel, reaching out to catch a snowflake; the white petal melted in his palm almost instantly.
The palace maids, worried that he might catch a cold, specially brought him a cloak to wear.
Lu Pianpian thanked her. Over the course of their time together, the palace servants all knew that this young master Lu was gentle and mild-mannered, quite different from their emperor. He was very kind and approachable, and everyone had a good impression of him.
“Young Master Lu, I am on half a day off today. Another younger sister will come to serve you in my place in a little while.”
Lu Pianpian noticed that she wasn't wearing palace attire. "Are you leaving the palace?"
"Yes, today is the Winter Solstice, and many sky lanterns will be released in the city! They fill the night sky at night, it's so beautiful! Young Master Lu should go and see them too!" She got so carried away that she forgot about Lu Pianpian's predicament, and quickly added, "Young Master Lu, please forgive me, I've been too talkative..."
“You didn’t do it on purpose, so what crime have you committed?” Lu Pianpian patted her and said with a smile, “Hurry up and leave the palace.”
"Thank you very much, Young Master Lu..."
The palace maid who had been talking to him left, and Lu Pianpian's attention was once again drawn to the snowy sky. He recalled the maid's description and murmured to himself, "Can you release sky lanterns while it's snowing? I wonder what it would look like if the night sky were filled with sky lanterns..."
"If you want to know what it looks like, just go and see for yourself."
Lu Pianpian turned around, and Huan Changming, wearing a dark cloak, strolled towards him from under the corridor.
Seeing him dampened my enthusiasm for seeing the sky lanterns.
"You'll let me see?"
“Of course you can.” Huan Changming looked at the gentle smile and said, “Smile at me again, just like you did at that palace maid.”
Although Lu Pianpian has been much more obedient these days, she is always calm and composed in front of him, no matter how much he stirs her up, she remains as still as a stagnant pool of water.
But just now, when facing that maid, Lu Pianpian was able to smile as before, which made Huan Changming unwilling.
If a mere maid can make him smile, how could he, the ruler of a nation, not deserve it?
Lu Pianpian ignored him and turned her head back to watch the snow fall.
"Lu Pianpian, don't you want to go see the sky lanterns anymore?"
Lu Pianpian said, "It's snowing in the sky. Once the sky lantern is released, it won't fly very high before being hit by the falling snow. What's the point of looking at it?"
"Sky lanterns are only released at night, so how do you know the snow won't stop at night?"
This statement actually piqued Lu Pianpian's interest.