Chapter 64
A maid presented a cup of tea to Zhao Heng. She examined it closely.
The celadon cup had a grayish tint and was as thin as a cicada's wing. Through the delicate porcelain, her fingerprints were clearly visible. Two dragonflies were painted on the white, smooth surface, standing on lotus tips. Their wings were thin and translucent, yet richly colored.
Zhao Heng thought that even such a small cup was soaked in the blood of Western barbarians, and she felt disgusted. She let out a strange laugh and put the cup down.
She spoke softly, "Today is your big day. His Highness and I came specially to witness the ceremony. Thank you for taking such good care of me on several occasions."
She emphasized the words "taking such good care of me."
Xie Tinghuan, who had a guilty conscience, inexplicably heard a different meaning in her words. Her expression stiffened immediately, and she stammered, "I, I..."
Then she thought to herself that she had always been careful and cautious, so she shouldn't have made any mistakes. How could she possibly know?
With a newfound sense of confidence, she looked up at Zhao Heng and said, "It's my duty. Lady Liangyuan doesn't need to take it to heart."
Zhao Heng smiled faintly and nodded, her gaze resting quietly on Xie Tinghuan's face. She spoke slowly, "No one's kindness to you is taken for granted. I remember all the kindness you've shown me, Miss Xie."
She glanced at Lian Zhou, who stepped forward holding a sandalwood box. Zhao Heng took the box, opened it, and took out the gold and jade hairpin inlaid with gold wire.
She said earnestly, "So I specially asked His Highness to attend your wedding banquet today. This is our gift to you."
Xie Tinghuan clutched the red silk handkerchief, crumpling it into a ball. What a farce! Zhao Heng was clearly here to flaunt her power, but why did she have to pretend to be so righteous and open?
But even if she didn't like it, she gritted her teeth and said, "Thank you."
As she reached out to take the hairpin, Zhao Heng's calm gaze fixed on Xie Tianhuan as she said, "Let me help you fix it. This hairpin suits your wedding attire perfectly today."
Xie Tianhuan's face tensed, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes.
Zhao Heng smiled and approached her, slowly placing the hairpin into her hair. To onlookers, it appeared like an intimate gesture between close friends. However, as Zhao Heng leaned in, she whispered in a voice only they could hear, "Thank you for pushing me into the lake and setting fire. In gratitude, I've prepared a special gift for you."
Xie Tianhuan's expression turned pale with shock, looking up at Zhaoheng in disbelief. She knew everything! How was this possible?
In the shadows, Zhao Heng's gaze turned slightly cold as she looked at the elaborately dressed bride in front of her. With a gentle smile, she adjusted the hairpin by her temple and stepped back, creating some distance between them.
She smiled and said, "There, all done."
"The auspicious time is approaching," the wedding attendants rushed in, and the people in the room busied themselves around Xie Tianhuan.
Ning Wanzhi took Zhao Heng's arm as they left the room. Just as they reached the door, they heard a surprised exclamation from inside, "Miss's wedding robe is torn!"
Xie Tianhuan snapped out of her daze, turned to see a large tear in the fabric at the back of her shoulder where the embroidered pearls had come loose.
"What should we do? Marquis specially prepared this wedding robe for Miss!" The wedding attendants fretted, unsure of where to find a suitable replacement now that the dress was ruined.
The room erupted into chaos, and Ning Wanzhi turned back to see Xie Tianhuan overwhelmed by the wedding attendants.
Zhao Heng held her hand and said, "Let's go, to the banquet."
As they walked to the banquet hall, they encountered several people along the way. Zhao Heng greeted them with a smile, never mistaking anyone she recognized, and guessing the identity of those she didn't.
Returning from the garden, they saw Concubine An and the Third Princess approaching.
Both sides exchanged pleasantries, and Zhao Heng spoke gently, "Miss Xie finding a good husband and forming this union is truly a cause for celebration."
Concubine An said, "As an elder, I hope for the younger generation to marry and have children early, settling down. With Tianhuan's marriage today, I can finally let go of a worry."
She smiled at Zhao Heng, "Jun Ning is also expecting now, and we hope you will soon bear a royal heir for the Crown Prince, bringing joy to His Majesty and Her Majesty."
Zhao Heng met Aunt Anpin's gaze and smiled, "I appreciate your concern, but His Majesty and Her Majesty have never pressured the Crown Prince for an heir. You need not worry about such matters."
Her words struck a sharp chord in Concubine An's heart, and a hint of doubt arose. She hadn't expected the previously timid woman to speak so bluntly to her. She glanced at Zhao Heng but found her standing gracefully with a polite smile, her clear eyes giving nothing away.
"Niangniang." A woman behind suddenly called her, breaking the conversation. Concubine An exchanged a few more pleasantries with Zhao Heng before heading elsewhere.
Zhao Heng, uninterested in exploring the luxuries of the Xie Mansion, returned to the banquet hall. Her gaze swept over the tables and landed on Li Wenjian seated at the head. He sat upright on the stool with a straight back, looking regal and composed. She lifted her skirt and ascended the steps, taking a seat beside him.
"I'm back," Zhaoheng whispered softly.
Li Wenjian turned his head and asked, "Why are you back so soon?"
"Your Highness," Zhao Heng's lips held a gentle smile as she lowered her voice and said, "Something seems off."
Li Wenjian picked up a pine nut from the table, leisurely peeled the shell, and calmly asked, "What's wrong?"
"Just now, I took a stroll around the Xie Mansion, and perhaps to be cautious, the Marquis's study is deep within the second courtyard, close to the inner courtyard," Zhao Heng informed him in a casual tone. "Normally, on a day of celebration like today, he should have locked the study. But not only was it unlocked, there wasn't even a guard stationed there."
She bit her lip and continued, "It seems like he's deliberately waiting for someone. I'm worried he's intentionally leaving the door wide open, waiting to catch someone off guard."
"This pine nut is good." Li Wenjian took her hand, placed a small handful of pine nuts in her palm, and casually smiled, "Have you seen Xiao Silang?"
Zhao Heng picked up a pine nut and placed it in her mouth, shaking her head, "I looked when I came in, but I didn't see him."
Li Wenjian noticed the fox fur on the brim of her cloak was pressed down and lifted it for her. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two candied haws, handing them to her, "Have Ning Wanzhi go to the inner courtyard later."
The bright red haws wrapped in a thick layer of sugar caught Zhao Heng's attention, causing her to forget about the pine nuts as she looked at the candied haws and then back at him.
In the warm yellow light, Zhao Heng took the candied haws, asking, "Where did these come from?"
"Just got them at the intersection, originally planned to save them for tonight to cheer you up..." Li Wenjian retracted his hand, his eyelashes fluttering as he said, "Had to use them in advance."
Zhao Heng glanced at him, then quickly turned her head and gently waved to Ning Wanzhi sitting below.
Ning Wanzhi caught sight of Zhao Heng and hurried over, asking, "Aunt, what's the matter?"
"Xiao Ning, don't look back, and don't show surprise on your face," Zhao Heng wiped away a bit of pastry crumbs from her cheek. "Later, find an opportunity to go to the Xie Mansion's inner courtyard. If you encounter Xiao Silang, try to help him."
Ning Wanzhi hesitated for a moment, then remembered Zhao Heng's words and smiled, reaching up to touch the hairpin in her hair. The bells on her wrist jingled softly as she replied, "Okay."
Zhao Heng handed her the candied haws with a smile, "Be careful."
Ning Wanzhi blinked her eyes, still wearing a bright smile on her lips. However, her hand was trembling slightly as she took the candied fruit skewer from her hand and nodded.
Zhao Heng watched as Ning Wanzhi returned to her seat, lowered her head to unwrap the oil paper, and ate the candied fruit one by one. After finishing, the woman sitting next to her "accidentally" spilled tea on her skirt, and then she left the table.
Li Wenjian peeled back the oil paper and offered the bright red fruit to her lips. Zhao Heng, momentarily stunned, then lowered her head lightly, "Many people are watching."
"I'm feeding you, it's only natural," Li Wenjian leaned in closer to her, whispering, "What are you afraid of?"
"Not afraid..." Zhao Heng raised her gaze to meet his eyes.
Li Wenjian looked at her dignified posture, and raised an eyebrow slightly, "Eat quickly, or else you'll feed me."
Zhao Heng pursed her lips, completely taken aback by the unexpected words coming from the gentle Crown Prince. She could only lower her head and bite into a piece of hawthorn in his hand.
A smile slowly spread across Li Wenjian's lips as he used his fingertips to gently wipe away the candy residue at the corner of her mouth, his voice low, "Good girl."
The gazes of the guests in the hall intentionally or unintentionally turned towards the top, and they couldn't hide their surprise at the scene. How could the Crown Prince, who appeared so divine, personally feed a woman hawthorn?!
Even ordinary newlyweds from common families would not be so intimate in such a public setting.
At the lower seats, people gathered together to whisper.
"Weren't you saying that this Lady Liangyuan is not favored, and that she has been in the palace for over half a year but still no news of a pregnancy?"
Several women gathered to discuss.
"I can see that the Crown Prince seems to be very fond of her. My man hasn't fed me hawthorn in so many years!" Another woman interjected, her words more sour than the hawthorn.
"Yeah, how could the Crown Prince have attended the wedding banquet of a subject's family before? I think he must have come along with Lady Liangyuan. It seems like she has a good relationship with Miss Xie, she went to visit Miss Xie as soon as she entered the mansion."
"I think so too... the look in the Crown Prince's eyes, I saw it when I was engaged to my man over ten years ago."
"Wherever these two sit, one is like a poplar tree in the spring sun, and the other is like the rustling peach blossoms beside it... truly a perfect match!"
The women giggled as they covered their mouths and whispered.
Zhao Heng, seated in a high position, naturally did not hear what they were saying. She slowly chewed on the hawthorn in her mouth, a smile on her face, but her heart was anxious.
Li Wenjian slowly twirled the ring on his finger, glancing at her sideways, seeing that she seemed intent on chewing the hawthorn seeds to swallow them, he spread out his handkerchief in his palm, reaching to take the hawthorn seeds from her mouth: "Doesn't it taste bitter to chew on?"
Zhao Heng was stunned, unsure whether to spit or not.
Li Wenjian glanced at Zhao Heng, expressionless, and said, "Worried about Xiao Silang? Worried silly?"
Zhao Heng furrowed her brows slightly, then spat out the hawthorn seeds into the silk handkerchief in his palm.
Li Wenjian suddenly smiled, perhaps the nth time he had smiled today.
His appearance in the capital city this time provided the noble ladies with plenty of gossip for their teatime discussions this month.
"Don't His Highness worry about them at all?" Zhao Heng deliberately emphasized the word "them," reminding him that her worries extended beyond just Xiao Silang.
Li Wenjian gently rotated the tea cup between his fingers, took a sip of the warm tea, and placed it on the table in front of him. "Silang is cautious, and there are trusted aides in the outer courtyard to assist. Even if he accidentally ventures into the inner courtyard, Ning Wanzhi will help. Speaking hypothetically, even if something were to happen, it would not be difficult to remove him completely from the Xie mansion. At worst, if the matter is exposed, and he did not get the account book, arousing suspicions from Marquis Xie, it would be even more challenging to investigate further."
"A Heng, don't worry." Li Wenjian's expression remained unchanged as he lightly patted her hand.
His calm and composure reassured Zhao Heng, and she picked up her tea cup to take a small sip. Suddenly, she noticed a pair of eyes in the crowd staring intently in their direction. Following the gaze, she lifted her eyes, only to see half of a lowered brim of a hat amidst the crowd.
"Your Highness, someone is watching you," Zhao Heng whispered, biting into a piece of fruit.
Li Wenjian's eyes remained calm, still lowered, as he asked her, "What kind of person is he?"
"I can't see clearly, he's wearing a hat with the brim partially shading his face, I can't see his features. He's slightly taller than you, with a more robust build, standing near the door in the Kun position," Zhao Heng described.
Li Wenjian listened attentively while picking at the fish in his bowl, occasionally nodding.
"It must be Marquis Xie's guard. I noticed him when I came in, and he looked away when he saw me," Li Wenjian said.
Zhao Heng turned her face, looking up at the upright figure of Li Wenjian and asked, "Why is he staring at you?"
"I don't know," Li Wenjian said. "Maybe we look good."
Zhao Heng thought to herself, this makes no sense, his gaze clearly showed caution and appraisal, different from the gossiping below.
"Do you think he might have ulterior motives towards you?" Zhao Heng looked at him with some concern.
The sparkling light landed in her eyes.
Li Wenjian, being watched by her, for some reason felt a slight ripple within.
"I don't know." After a pause, as if not wanting her to frown, he added, "It doesn't seem like he has any malicious intent."
After speaking, he used his chopsticks to place the deboned fish meat in her bowl.
Zhao Heng was not in the mood to eat at all. She flipped the piece of fish in her bowl with her chopsticks and did not touch it.
"Eat more," Li Wenjian wiped his hands with a handkerchief and casually said, "Too thin."
Upon hearing his words, Zhao Heng remembered him saying something similar last night and immediately lowered her head to avoid his gaze.
Li Wenjian suppressed a slight smile, raised his wine cup to toast the officials who came to offer him a drink.
As he set down his cup, he noticed a brightly colored piece of dragon meat in his bowl. He smiled and picked it up to eat.
Halfway through the wedding banquet, a servant passed through the crowd and whispered to Marquis Xie at his side. His expression suddenly changed, he signaled for the servant to leave, then stood up and bowed to Li Wenjian, saying, "Your Highness, there is a matter in the inner courtyard, I must excuse myself for a moment."
Li Wenjian raised his wine cup slightly towards him, "Marquis Xie, please go ahead."
Marquis Xie hastily left his seat.
Zhao Heng glanced at Ning Wanzhi's empty seat, she had not returned yet.
"What are you thinking?" Li Wenjian's voice was clear.
"I'm thinking, why is Marquis Xie so unpleasant?" Zhao Heng said, lifting her tea cup to take a sip. "Just seeing him makes me dislike him immensely."
Li Wenjian couldn't help but let out a light chuckle at her words.
His smile was gentle, and Zhao Heng looked up at him, then glanced at the screen behind him. Their shadows swayed gently on the screen, following the flickering light.
"You're still the best, Your Highness," Zhao Heng suddenly said.
Li Wenjian didn't say anything, just looked at her, then reached out to hold her hand, squeezing her palm.
Before long, Marquis Xie returned, his expression not great, but he still paid his respects to Li Wenjian very politely and said softly, "Your Highness, I apologize for my negligence. An assassin took advantage of the chaos and sneaked into the mansion today. To prevent any harm to Your Highness, I humbly request that you return to the palace."
Li Wenjian furrowed his brow and looked at him, "Oh? Was the assassin caught?"
Before Marquis Xie could respond, a panicked servant rushed in from outside, reporting, "Master, it's terrible! Miss Ning insists on jumping into the lake."
The hall suddenly became bustling, with Zhao Heng getting up swiftly and asking sternly, "Where is she?"
âââ
Author's note:
Zhao Heng: You are the best in this world!
Li Wenjian: Hehe! Wife, have some meat.