Chapter 24.2
He resisted the urge to scratch, leaning back in his chair as if waiting for her explanation.
"I have no idea what Your Highness is talking about," Zhao Heng asked him.
Li Wenjian's expression turned cold. "What do you want to do?"
Zhao Heng pressed her lips together, silent.
"Even if it's me, you can't speak?" Li Wenjian asked again.
Zhao Heng blinked slowly. "I just tripped and fell. Why are you unfoundedly suspecting me, Your Highness?"
He approached her step by step, and she hurriedly stepped back, feeling a shadow looming over her, his oppressive aura surrounding her.
âUntil her back was against the bookshelf, with no way out.
"Still being stubborn?"
His presence was strong, immensely oppressive, causing Zhao Heng to hold her breath deeply.
She almost didn't stand firm, pushing against Li Wenjian's approach with her hand, taking a deep breath and meeting his gaze, "Your Highness, are you regretting it now?"
Li Wenjian raised an eyebrow, locking eyes with her.
Suddenly realizing his inadequate understanding of her, he had always thought of her as a harmless, timid rabbit. But now, seeing her reddened eyes looking at him, devoid of any fear, shattered that perception.
"I'm just a lonely girl, powerless and insignificant in this palace, like a speck of dust." Zhao Heng asked, "Your Highness, you repeatedly questioned why I injured myself. Now I want to ask you, what was my intention in harming myself? What could I possibly gain from it?"
Li Wenjian listened to her series of questions, a nameless anger rising within him.
After restraining himself, he swallowed his anger and said to her, "You know better than me whether my suspicions are unfounded. Zhao Heng, I've told you back at the palace that the path ahead in the palace may not always be smooth, but that doesn't mean you can run towards the cliff with abandon."
There was a moment of silence as Li Wenjian spoke, then he spoke again in a deep voice, "If there's something you haven't said, tell me, and I'll resolve it."
"There isn't." Zhao Heng's slender, white fingers rested on his arm as she looked up at him, saying softly, "I have nothing to hide from Your Highness, it's all in your imagination. Your Highness is too... suspicious."
"Fine, as you wish, I'll leave you be." Brushing off Zhao Heng's fingers, he turned away, forcefully opening the door behind him and striding out of the chamber.
Watching his figure disappear into the night, Zhao Heng slowly lowered her head, feeling a sense of regret.
But she had always been someone who didn't know her own limits.
By nature, she couldn't trust others wholeheartedly, couldn't place all her hopes in others.
Even if that person was her greatest and only reliance for the rest of her life.
Outside Changqiu Hall, Jing Lin waited for Li Wenjian by the palace wall.
The young eunuch leading the way carried a lantern, illuminating the two figures as they walked towards the approaching duo.
Seeing Li Wenjian's large strides, Jing Lin felt a sense of unease, realizing something was amiss.
As the Prince approached, he noticed his expression and knew he had guessed correctly.
Silently lowering his gaze, Jing Lin followed behind him without a word.
After a few meters, Li Wenjian suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Jinglin also halted, waiting in silence.
"Go and investigate if there is something suspicious about her death," Li Wenjian instructed.
Jinglin acknowledged with a "yes," without needing to ask who 'she' was.
All along, Li Wenjian understood his responsibility towards her.
This sense of responsibility led him to bring the person back to the Eastern Palace. Since he had personally appointed Zhaoxun, he felt it was his duty to protect her. However, she seemed to be indifferent to her own safety.
He couldn't figure out her motives at the moment, but besides being related to her grandmother's death, he couldn't think of any other possibilities.
Due to Zhao Heng's grandmother's status, no one had considered the possibility that her death was anything other than an ordinary accident. Thus, no one had bothered to check her body.
But she had mentioned that she had personally bathed her grandmother.
Li Wenjian had no doubt that if her death wasn't accidental, Zhao Heng might have noticed some clues.
That night, various thoughts raced through Zhao Heng's mind like a whirlwind. She pondered over certain matters repeatedly, staying awake until the early hours of the morning when drowsiness finally overcame her. Just as she was drifting off for a while, a faint murmur disturbed her peace.
The voice came from inside the hall.
She listened for a moment, then got up, donned her clothes, and quietly stepped out, opening the door a crack and peering through.
It was Princess Li Nanxi, whom she had seen before. Li Nanxi turned her head in response to the sound of the door opening, meeting Zhao Heng's gaze with a bright smile. Her large eyes blinked as she tilted her head and sweetly asked, "Awake already?"
Stepping lightly, Zhao Heng walked out of the chamber and softly replied, "Princess, up so early?"
"I rise early every day to study," Li Nanqi said, curious as she admired Zhao Heng's beauty and pleasant voice. She involuntarily smiled, rummaged in her waist pouch, retrieved a piece of candy, and handed it to Zhao Heng, saying, "Here, for you."
Feeling touched, Zhao Heng unwrapped the candy and tasted it, saying, "It's really sweet."
Delighted, Li Nanxi looked at Zhao Heng with curiosity and asked, "Have you always been at the Eastern Palace?"
Zhao Heng nodded.
Frowning slightly, the young girl expressed regret, "Then why have I never seen you before?"
"I used to work in the laundry room, and the Princess never visited there," Zhao Heng explained.
Li Nanxi was still pondering what the laundry room was when an attendant reminded her, "Princess, it's time to go to the skill-learning hall."
Li Nanxi showed a pained expression, unable to contain her complaint, "When will I ever be free from studying!"
The attendant chuckled, "Be careful, Crown Prince might hear the Princess' complaints and scold you for being lazy again."
Grabbing Zhao Heng's hand, Li Nanxi looked at her with pleading eyes, "Please talk to big brother, he's always so strict with me. Whenever I'm late for the skill-learning hall, he scolds me."
Zhao Heng replied, "I can't control him."
"Why not? You're so beautiful, can't you tame him?" Li Nanxi was surprised, "Xiaoning said there are no men who can't be controlled by a woman, only women who are unworthy."
Zhao Heng blushed slightly, unsure how to respond to her words.
"Ning Wanzhi, if she mention these nonsensical things to you again, I will kick her out of the palace."
Li Nanxi was taken aback and slowly turned her neck to look back, only to see Li Wenjian standing behind her in black robes, a sly smile playing at the corners of his narrow eyes.
"Brother..." her voice trailed off, and she stuttered, "I, I have to go to class now, so I'll take my leave."
She turned around and ran off like a gust of wind.
Xue Mama shouted, "Little ancestor, wait for me!" and chased after her, pulling her skirt.
It seemed that Princess Li Nanxi was indeed a little afraid of Li Wenjian.
In the courtyard, only the two of them remained.
Zhao Heng still didn't dare to look at him, her head hanging low.
"You can't control me?" Li Wenjian's gaze swept over Zhao Heng as he asked.
The morning breeze shone through her hair, like strands of gold, and her eyelashes trembled slightly as she glanced innocently at him.
Li Wenjian felt inexplicably restless.
He knew that she wasn't incapable of controlling him, she just didn't want to.
To her, he was just a last resort, a lifebuoy when drowning, a reluctant choice.
She didn't have much affection for him, but was forced into the Eastern Palace, awaiting a future she couldn't foresee the danger of.
So she had a secluded place in her heart, where she didn't want to leave, nor let anyone enter.
It wasn't just Zhao Heng who hadn't slept all night, he hadn't slept well either.
He had never experienced the hardships she had faced, never begged for survival, or shed blood to stay alive.
Countless hardships had shaped her into who she was today, and he hadn't gone through what she had, nor should he expect her to trust him completely.
In the early hours of the morning, he found peace in this realization.
"I left something here last night," Li Wenjian said.
"Your Highness, please wait a moment," Zhao Heng nodded, lifted her skirts, and hurried back into the room. When she returned, she held a purse in her hands and presented it to him, saying, "Is this it?"
Li Wenjian nodded and took it from her, slowly tying it to his belt. He tugged at it a few times, but couldn't unravel the knot.
"Let me do it," Zhao Heng offered, moving closer to him. She squatted beside him and delicately untied the knot. Li Wenjian watched her as she did so, her bowed head revealing a long, slender neck that disappeared into the collar of her robe, sparking endless imagination.
Suppressing a faint rush of emotion, he averted his gaze.
After tying the purse, Zhao Heng stood up and whispered, "Done."
They were interrupted by Jian Ning and their troops outside the Changqiu Hall. Zhao Heng glanced at Li Wenjian's black ceremonial attire and instinctively asked, "Your Highness, are you going out?"
Li Wenjian, who had been about to leave, stopped in his tracks at her words and turned to look at Zhao Heng.
Times are different now. Even those accustomed to giving orders are taking the time to explain.
"Go to the imperial tomb for the spring festival."
"Is the imperial tomb far from the palace?" Zhao Heng asked softly.
Li Wenjian shook his head. "Not far. The spring festival lasts three days, we'll be back in a few days."
For this spring festival, the court had been preparing for two full months. Zhao Heng had heard about its grandeur long before.
"Your Highness, be careful on your journey." Zhao Heng bowed respectfully.
Knowing that it was just a polite gesture, Li Wenjian's mood still improved slightly. It was getting late, and everyone was waiting for him. He simply said, "Jing Lin is in the palace, you can find him anytime."
Then he stared at her, his tone becoming more intense. "Anything at all."
As Zhao Heng watched Li Wenjian's retreating figure, she wondered about the meaning behind his final words. Had he figured something out?
But even as his figure disappeared, she couldn't figure it out.
In the following days, Zhao Heng continued studying and writing in the Eastern Palace.
Occasionally, Li Nanxi would come to play with her. Perhaps because he knew Li Wenjian was not around, Li Nanxi's confidence grew, and he would head straight to Zhao Heng's quarters after her studies.
Having grown up in the countryside, Zhao Heng knew many ways to entertain children, such as spinning tops or making animals out of grass. She would keep Li Nanxi entertained, often playing until Xue Mama had to remind her to go back.
"Can't you come with me to the Flower Festival?" Li Nanxi asked hopefully as she was about to leave, inviting Zhao Heng once again to join her at the festival.
Smiling, Zhao Heng replied, "My grandmother passed away recently, and I am still in mourning. I cannot attend such festivities."
Disappointed, Li Nanxi said, "Ever since Xiao Silang went south, Xiao Ning has been lovesick. If you won't come with me to the Flower Festival, and you can't go, I will be very sad."
Zhao Heng smiled and reassured her, "Next year, I will go with you."
Only then did the disappointed little princess smile, hooking arms with Zhao Heng before allowing Xue Mama to lead her away.
With a child for company, the days were less boring.
Zhao Heng never expected the little princess to have such a good temper. Despite her noble birth, she did not have a hint of arrogance and was instead charming and obedient, a pleasant surprise indeed.
As Lin Mama accompanied her back to her chambers, she remarked, "Our Eighth Princess has had a quirk since she was young."
"A quirk?" such a lovely child had a quirk? Zhao Heng couldn't help but furrow her brows.
Lin Mama chuckled, "My lady, you might not know this, but our Eighth Princess is known for being superficial. She plays with whoever looks good, be it a pretty girl from Lin House before you entered the palace, and now she clings to you every day."
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Heng couldn't help but exclaim, "Lin Mama, you almost gave me a scare."
A beauty was a beauty, and with a slight hint of annoyance, Zhao Heng maintained her graceful demeanor, bringing delight to Lin Mama.
"Does my lady wish to bathe? I will have them prepare the water," Lin Mama asked.
"Not now, I haven't finished writing for today. I'll bathe later," Zhao Heng replied, walking to her desk and continuing to practice calligraphy.
Seeing that the room was somewhat dim, Lin Mama placed a lamp in front of Zhao Heng.
Burying herself in her writing, Zhao Heng focused intently on her strokes. Standing behind her, Lin Mama observed her with a content smile. She had grown quite fond of this young lady during their time together.
Beautiful, well-behaved, diligent in her studies, Zhao Heng was as dedicated as an examinee preparing for an important exam.
Having played with Li Nanxi all day, Zhao Heng hadn't written a single word until late into the night. Standing by the window, she massaged her stiff neck. The sky outside was completely dark, with the moonlight quietly filtering in through the window. Zhao Heng looked up at the sky.
The stars were dim, the moon hung high in the sky, resembling a glowing white jade plate. It was the fifteenth day of the month.
The Crown Prince had left on the tenth day, and today's spring festival had ended. He should be returning tomorrow.
In the middle of the night, Zhao Heng was awakened by urgent footsteps. Lin Mama shook her awake in a panic, "Something bad has happened, my lady. The Crown Prince has been attacked."
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Author's Note:
Li Gouzi: When looking for a husband, make sure to find someone like me. I don't need my wife to pacify me when I'm angry, I can do it myself~~ Hehehe
Ah Heng: Look at him, acting so worthless(ã¼'?ã¼)