Одинокий город закрыт - Глава 48
"Your Highness, please don't get up. Everyone, please don't see me off. Hualuo will wait outside," the Crown Princess said, then turned to me and smiled weakly. "I'll trouble Sister Xiyue to help me up."
I quickly got up, bowed slightly to Consort Rong, and then took the Crown Princess's hand as we walked outside.
Upon reaching the flower hall, Hua Luo was waiting outside. Suddenly, the Crown Princess stopped, gripped my hand tightly as I supported her, and whispered, "Sister, please be careful today. Find an excuse to leave here as soon as possible."
I suddenly looked up at the Crown Princess, but she didn't look at me. Instead, she called out "Hua Luo" towards the hall door. Hua Luo responded and hurriedly came in. I took Hua Luo's hand before looking at me and thanking her gently, "Thank you for your trouble, sister. Please go back quickly, Consort Rong must be getting impatient."
I watched the Crown Princess and Hua Luo leave the flower hall, and as I walked back, I pondered the Crown Princess's words. This banquet was definitely suspicious, but how did the Crown Princess find out?
Without the Crown Princess, the banquet felt even more desolate to me. I've never liked these kinds of occasions. Everyone present, except for me, is a true princess. Of course, I don't think I'm inferior in any way, but I suspect they all feel that their sweat is more valuable than my blood. In the absence of Prince Tianqing and Xilan, their expressions and the way they look at me carry a hint of contempt, yet also a touch of jealousy.
"I heard that Xiyue changed into men's clothing and left the palace early this morning?" Consort Shu spoke first, her eyes filled with disdain and contempt as she looked me over, but her voice was stern as she said, "Although His Majesty has allowed you to break the rules, you are now a princess and will soon be returning to your ancestral home to pay respects to your ancestors. The dignity of the royal family cannot be lost."
"Xiyue will heed Your Majesty's teachings. However, today Xiyue left the palace with Xilan to visit the Imperial Garden. At noon, when I dined with my father, he said that Xiyue was unfamiliar with the customs and culture of Tianqing and that she should go out more often when she has time, assuring me that I should just be careful." I replied respectfully, but I was a little worried. Consort Shu is always dignified and elegant in public, so why did her tone and eyes just now seem to have shed their usual pretense?
"His Majesty really dotes on Xiyue. The Seventh Princess is always clamoring to go out of the palace to play, but His Majesty has never agreed." Consort Rong glanced at the Seventh Princess Yingli beside me, then at me, her expression somewhat sour.
Consort Rong had only one daughter, the seventh princess Yingli.
“Your Majesty, Yingli grew up in the palace and is pampered and noble, which is incomparable to Xiyue. Father Emperor only turns a blind eye because Xiyue also grew up outside since she was a child. How could he feel at ease letting Yingli leave the palace?” I replied with a smile, and then looked at Yingli beside me and said, “If Yingli really wants to go out and see the world, next time when Xiyue leaves the palace, if Your Majesty feels at ease, Xiyue will ask Yingli to go with her.”
"Really? You really can take me out of the palace with you?" Before Consort Rong could speak, the Seventh Princess exclaimed excitedly.
"Really," I replied with a smile, but in my heart I added: Yeah, right! Your mother would never trust you to go out with me!
"Mother, Mother, then next time I will go out of the palace with my elder sister." Hearing my promise, the Seventh Princess happily got up and ran to Consort Rong's side to act coquettishly.
"Nonsense! Even if your mother agrees, your father will not." Consort Rong pretended to scold the Seventh Princess, but her tone was full of doting affection.
"Royal sister!" Sure enough, the seventh princess looked up at me for help.
"As long as Yingli gets the Empress's approval, my elder sister will talk to the Emperor." I said it casually. The banquet was so strange today, and I wanted to show that I was different from the Prince of Tianqing, hoping that they would be more cautious because of it. But the more important reason for saying this was for the following sentence: "Oh, speaking of the Emperor, I promised him at noon that I would go over at this time, but I almost forgot."
I pretended to be flustered and got up, intending to apologize to Consort Rong and take my leave. However, she spoke first: "No matter how urgent it is, you should finish your meal first. If the Emperor blames you, Xiyue can say that I kept you here. I don't think the Emperor will be angry about that."
Helpless, I had no choice but to sit down again, but my unease grew stronger.
I ate with my head down, trying to remain silent as much as possible. The Seventh Princess, who had just promised to take her out of the palace, suddenly changed her attitude, calling me "Imperial Sister" repeatedly, which gave me the creeps. With the Crown Princess removed from her position, the Third Princess was on the other side. She remained silent, occasionally glancing in my direction, her expression neither malicious nor smiling. The Third Princess was the same age as the Fourth Prince. I heard that Prince Tianqing had arranged a marriage between them two years ago, but the Third Princess, with her strong personality, vowed never to marry, leaving Prince Tianqing with no choice but to abandon the engagement. Since then, the matter of marriage has not been mentioned again.
I have quite a bit of admiration for someone who could resist the Azure King and ultimately achieve victory; it seems this Third Princess is no ordinary person after all.
Just as I was thinking about these things, I heard a soft gasp beside me, followed by shouts of anger, pleas for mercy, and sobs. I looked at the maid kneeling beside me, tears and snot streaming down her face, begging for forgiveness. Then I looked down at myself. I had only accidentally spilled some soup on myself. Because my winter clothes were thick, I hadn't even felt the heat.
Accidentally? My heart sank. Was it intentional? What secrets does this banquet hold? Are we finally about to uncover the truth?
"Get up. It's just that your clothes are a little dirty, it's nothing," I said to the maid who was still kowtowing.
"Get out of here! Useless thing! Go to the Imperial Household Department to receive your punishment!" Consort Rong had somehow appeared in front of me and shouted at the maid. Then she raised her voice and said, "Guards! Help Princess Xiyue to change her clothes!"
“Your Majesty,” I quickly said, instinctively wanting to refuse her kindness, “it is getting late. Perhaps Xiyue should take her leave now. I need to go back and change my clothes before going to Father’s. Xiyue thanks Your Majesty for your hospitality and will come to pay her respects to Your Majesty another day.”
"How can this be? If Xiyue goes back like this, won't people laugh at Rongyu Palace? Although Rongyu Palace is not as good as Zhilan Palace, it is not a place without rules. Could it be that Xiyue finds Rongyu Palace's clothes not good enough?"
"Xiyue wouldn't dare." I smiled bitterly to myself. Was there no way to escape it after all?
Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Asleep (Revised Edition) Volume Two: Where Does the Vast Sky and Water Lead? The Strings of Music are Muffled, the Sounds of Longing are Subdued (Part Three)
Chapter word count: 3352 Update time: 08-12-21 16:25
The strings of a zither, each note a whispered thought (Part 3)
As the two maids passed through the shadows of trees and the lights, they led me to a building with carved railings and jade steps. Instead of leading me through the main gate, the two maids walked to the left and stopped in front of a door.
I stood in front of the door, stopping in my tracks. I never expected that Consort Rong's palace would be so magnificent.
"Please come in, Princess." One of the maids pushed open the door and turned to me, saying this.
I remained motionless, but in my mind I was calculating how to escape. Even if I could shake off those two maids, I would still have to leave Rongyu Palace through the main gate. What should I do?
"Princess, let me help you inside." Another maid walked to my side, supporting me with one hand as we walked forward.
I tried to break free, but couldn't, and could only follow her inside. As soon as we entered the room, the two maids swiftly slipped away and closed the door behind them. I hurriedly turned to open the door, only to find it locked from the inside. My heart skipped a beat. I gripped the small dagger Qinglin had given me, which I had kept close to my body that morning, turned around, leaned against the door, and surveyed the room's furnishings.
The room was decorated with luminous pearls, and incense burned on the table. On one side was an antique shelf, and on the other, a soft couch. On the wall directly in front was a huge portrait of a life-size figure dancing gracefully—it was Consort Rong!
With a creak, I looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the antique shelf had rotated ninety degrees, revealing a dark secret room behind it, and slowly walking out of the secret room—the Fourth Prince, Tian Xinrong.
My heart leaped into my throat, and I desperately told myself to stay calm. The antique shelf returned to its original position, and I stubbornly pressed my back against the door, but it was still firmly shut. My escape route was blocked, so I had no choice but to face it.
"Did Fourth Brother go to the wrong door? Or did Xiyue go to the wrong place?" I put the dagger back on my body, took two small steps forward, and asked with a smile.
“That’s right, Fourth Brother is here. He’s been waiting for Sister Xiyue for quite a while.” He walked towards me with a smile, but that smile was full of eeriness.
"Fourth Brother, that's too formal. We're siblings now. If you want to see Xiyue, you can see her anytime. Why bother coming all the way to Rongyu Palace to wait for her?" I watched him approach me step by step, then with a quick movement, I slipped away unnoticed and walked to the other side.
"It seems that Sister Xiyue really likes to avoid Fourth Brother!" Seeing me like this, he stopped approaching me and stood there with his arms crossed in front of his chest, a half-smile on his face, but a teasing look in his eyes.
I walked to the side of the table, standing a short distance away from him, observing him without saying a word, while wondering what kind of conspiracy Tian Xinrong had in store for his appearance at this moment. The fragrance of incense wafted over from the table, and a sudden thought struck me, sending a chill down my spine. Why was this incense burning here? I quickly swept the entire incense burner to the ground, rubbed my head with one hand, and sat down on a stool nearby.
“Sister Xiyue is indeed clever. She noticed that the incense was not right in such a short time. However,” he suddenly walked up to me, lifted my chin with one hand, and sneered, “it’s a little too late. This aphrodisiac incense, if you don’t enjoy the pleasure of love within an hour after just one whiff, you will lose your life.”
Sure enough, this plot is so damn cliché! I couldn't help but curse in my heart, "Damn it, I'd rather die than let this pretty boy ruin my innocence!"
"Fourth Brother, aren't you afraid Father will be angry if he finds out?" I spoke softer and softer. The Fourth Prince, Consort Shu, and Consort Rong aren't that stupid, are they? Things are definitely not that simple.
"Don't worry, Sister Xiyue, Father won't know." He looked at me and smiled happily.