Девять песен - Глава 75
Clothes were scattered all over the floor. On the bed, two people were entangled together, writhing under the covers. When they heard the door open, they stopped what they were doing and turned to look. Their faces were vaguely discernible through their long, disheveled hair.
One is Ziru, and the other is... Lin Ran...
Lin Ran's face was hidden by his long hair, only his eyes and faint sweat stains were visible. He was panting, looked at the person in the doorway, paused, and was somewhat embarrassed and flustered. "Ah, you, uh... that... you..."
He awoke abruptly, his face turning deathly pale. He was completely flustered and panicked, trying to look away, but his gaze remained fixed on everything in the room. His throat felt constricted, and he couldn't utter a sound.
Gradually, he began to feel flustered and confused. Suddenly, he felt that Lin Ran was so delicate and charming, more like a woman than he had ever seen before.
Yuwen Ke lifted his foot, for the first time in his life
They fled in panic.
He didn't hear the silvery laughter behind him.
Chapter 154: Abnormal
Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.
Inside the magnificent hall, glittering with pearls, a huge nanmu wood desk was piled high with memorials. Behind the desk, an expressionless figure, lips tightly pressed together, wrote with the speed of the wind, having been working tirelessly for two days and one night, yet showing no sign of stopping.
Graceful palace maids in their prime, their robes fluttering, carrying jade trays, moved swiftly and lightly, a continuous stream of them. They delivered newly submitted memorials, collected those already approved, and then distributed them to various departments such as the Grand Council and the Ministry of Revenue.
All the palace servants, whether entering or leaving, lowered their eyes and furrowed their brows, remaining silent as cicadas in winter.
Xiao Yezi stood at the distant palace gate, holding a whisk. His face was so pale it was almost green. He looked at the Crown Prince, who sat upright like a mountain, with trepidation. His profile was resolute, yet it also revealed a sense of awe and isolation.
I still remember that early morning. The Crown Prince's face was calm and resolute, his steps were steady, and there was a hint of determination in his eyes. Less than half a day later, when he returned to the palace, he was a completely different person. He didn't say a word, nor did he leave his study. He even skipped sleep and meals.
Xiao Yezi was completely baffled. He had followed the Crown Prince for many years, and although the Crown Prince was melancholic and eccentric, he had always been rational and measured. Even years ago, when he had risked his life in the martial world, been framed and plotted against, and spent days and nights escaping pursuit, he had never acted so erratically. What on earth had happened this time?
The Crown Prince's temper is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
Little Leaf sighed softly in her heart.
The Crown Prince had gone without sleep or food for days and nights. While others might not have cared much, he dared not disregard it. As the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince's every need was of paramount importance to him; failing to serve him properly could cost him his head. Those old Confucian officials who placed high hopes on the Crown Prince, calling him the most virtuous prince since the founding of the dynasty, would likely turn pale upon learning of this, and then tear him to pieces and eat him alive.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yezi couldn't help but shudder, and her face turned even more pale.
Yes, we must find a way to get the Crown Prince to eat.
However, the Crown Prince had a somber face, and the air pressure within a hundred meters of him was extremely low. Even the palace servants who came to fetch the memorials felt as if they were in the dead of winter. If they accidentally glanced at the Crown Prince's face while looking down, they would break out in a cold sweat. Who would dare to take such a risk and forcefully ask the Crown Prince to eat and rest?
Xiao Yezi glanced at the group of palace servants outside the hall, their faces contorted with worry, their eyes filled with expectation and pleading as they carried food boxes to her. She made an even stronger decision. Besides him, no one else would dare to step forward and persuade the Crown Prince at this moment; only he could.
Go ahead, this time, just close your eyes and don't look at the Crown Prince's expression. Even if you kneel and kowtow, even if your head bleeds, even if the Crown Prince gets angry and takes your head, you must persuade the Crown Prince to sleep for a little while and have a small bowl of ginseng soup or bird's nest.
Xiao Ye clenched her fist, her heart pounding, and turned to walk into the hall.
"Your Highness, you haven't eaten for days. How can your body endure this? Please, for the sake of His Majesty's health, have some food." Little Yezi lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the Crown Prince's pen, and stammered out what she wanted to say, "Your Majesty..."
The Crown Prince's pen stopped, and the Grand Eunuch of the Eastern Palace, who was full of courage, suddenly felt two cold gazes fall on him. The heat in his body seemed to be quickly drained away, and all his words suddenly froze on the tip of his tongue, his voice instantly becoming hoarse.
"I...I am a servant..." Little Yezi tried her best to steady her trembling legs, frantically trying to do something more. But she didn't know where to begin; all her courage vanished like a flame doused in water.
The prince glanced at Xiao Yezi expressionlessly, then continued writing, the swishing sound like a silkworm devouring mulberry leaves—quiet, yet so dull it was suffocating.
Xiao Yezi's face was pale, her lips trembling, but she dared not speak again. She stood hesitantly to one side, wanting to retreat but unwilling to, and was so distressed that she wanted to bang her head against a pillar when she suddenly heard a eunuch's announcement at the palace gate, "Your Highness, the Left Prime Minister requests an audience."
The sound of silkworms swallowing stopped abruptly. Out of the corner of Xiao Yezi's eye, he seemed to see the prince's hand tremble slightly. He was startled, but when he looked again, the sound of silkworms swallowing had already started again. It was as if everything just now was his illusion.
The prince remained silent.
The little eunuch kneeling at the door dared not get up. After waiting for a while, he looked at Xiao Yezi with pleading eyes. Xiao Yezi frowned and lowered her eyes, keeping her eyes downcast and not daring to speak.
After a while, the Crown Prince's voice, which had been absent for several days, suddenly rang out for the first time, slightly hoarse, "Little Ye Zi."
Xiao Yezi was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening, and hurriedly stepped forward and bent down to respond.
"How many more memorials are there?"
"Well?﹏﹏"
Are you asking about all the old reports from previous years? Because the Emperor is ill and cannot exert himself, and the Crown Prince has been traveling around the country for the past few years investigating matters, some of which are not very important or not urgent have all piled up, filling a large palace. Since the Crown Prince returned, he has been dealing with them urgently. Although he has dealt with most of them, there are still quite a lot left.
Just as Xiao Yezi was about to answer, another eunuch rushed over, knelt down and reported, "Your Highness, the Left Prime Minister has already left. He said that since Your Highness is too busy, he will not disturb you any longer and will come another day."
There was no sound, yet the air inside the hall instantly froze.
Chapter 155: Anger
His fingers trembled violently, and the whisk almost fell to the ground. All the words that Xiao Yezi was about to say froze on the tip of his tongue. He stared in shock at the little eunuch still kneeling at the palace gate, not knowing whether to blame the little eunuch for daring to report such news at this time, or to be shocked by the fact that the Left Prime Minister who fabricated this news was so lewd and unruly.
Judging from the Crown Prince's gloomy face, this is the first time he's shown such emotional turmoil in front of his servants... The Left Chancellor... I'm afraid he won't have a good ending...
Xiao Yezi secretly wiped away a bead of cold sweat and sighed inwardly.
He had just joined the phase office, such a bright and talented young man, like the sun... What a pity... What a shame...
Xiao Yezi closed her eyes with pity. She really liked that young prime minister and hoped to see him continue to be successful. However, at this moment, everyone could already foresee the crown prince's next decree... dismissal from office... it was probably inevitable.
Before he could finish thinking, he felt a cool breeze suddenly blow past him. When he looked again, the whisk fell to the ground with a "bang." The young chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace was completely dumbfounded.
The main hall was empty, with only a few palace servants looking at each other in bewilderment.
What about that...the Crown Prince?
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