Chapter 78

Li Xiang subconsciously hid her hand into her sleeve and clenched her hand tighter.

She hadn’t seen anyone in the room when she entered, but now they had all appeared. It wasn’t difficult to guess that this had been a trap. She clenched her teeth and looked at Wei Luo, who was next to Zhao Liuli. Wei Luo’s hands were behind her back and her smiling pink lips seemed to be laughing at her.

She shouldn’t have come back… No matter how much doubt she had in her heart, she shouldn’t have come back!

At this point, it was too late to have these thoughts. A servant girl behind Zhao Liuli carried the rosewood box with a plum flower design to Empress Chen and mumbled, “Your Majesty, the princess’s hairpin is missing a butterfly…”

Empress Chen looked down to see the situation inside the box.

Empress Chen had originally been talking with Gao Dan Yang at Zhao Yang Hall when Zhao Liuli suddenly said she was unsatisfied about a minor detail for the golden butterfly hairpin and pestered her into coming here to look. She didn’t have any choice other than accompanying Zhao Liuli here. Unexpectedly, she saw this scene when she came here. Empress Chen wasn’t a fool. She knew that her daughter had deliberately lied to get her to come here, but she didn’t reveal this. Her daughter must have a reason for doing this. She took advantage of the situation to look at Li Xiang and see what she would say.

Knowing that she couldn’t escape from this disaster, Li Xiang hurriedly kneeled and opened her hand to reveal the golden butterfly inside. She tried to avoid taking responsibility for her action. Afraid of acknowledging her error, she said, “Jiumu (maternal uncle’s wife), please calm down… I saw how beautiful this hairpin was and couldn’t resist playing with it. I didn’t expect that it would be so fragile. I only gently touched it and a butterfly fell off…”

Then, she raised her small, white jade face and helplessly said, “I know that this is older cousin Liuli’s adulthood ceremony’s hairpin and has exceptional significance. It’s entirely my fault for liking to play too much… Where was older cousin’s hairpin made? Will it be okay if I compensate you with an identical one?”

She had deliberately called Empress Chen jiumu and Zhao Liuli older cousin, so that Empress Chen might only lightly punish her for Elder Princess Gao Yang’s sake. But, she had thought too simply. Empress Chen dearly loved Zhao Liuli. How could she tolerate anyone acting against her? Empress Chen’s face immediately became severe and mercilessly said, “Since you know that this hairpin has exceptional significance, how will you be able to compensate with an identical one? How does Zhao Xuan usually teach you? Do you think it’s okay to casually touch other people’s things?”

(Note: Just in case it’s too long ago, Elder Princess Gao Yang’s name is Zhao Xuan.)

Li Xiang pursed her lips and her eyes showed her humiliation. She hadn’t expected that Empress Chen would scold her and even her mother in front of so many people…

Empress Chen and Elder Princess Gao Yang had never gotten along, so Empress Chen had never been close with her two children, Li Xiang and Li Song. In addition, Prince Ru Yang’s heir was Zhao Zhang’s henchman. Empress Chen’s relationship with Prince Ru Yang’s family had become worse and worse.

Before Empress Chen had married Emperor Chong Zhen, Elder Princess Gao Yang hadn’t approved of her older brother marrying her. They had secretly been very competitive with each other. During the past years, they had only slowly stopped after growing older. Empress Chen had always disliked Elder Princess Gao Yang. Now, Li Xiang had landed in her hand from breaking Zhao Liuli’s hairpin. How could it be possible for her to be amiable?

Li Xiang bit her lower lip, looked up, and said, “This was my fault. It’s not related to my mother. Jiumu, please don’t blame this on my mother…” Then, she looked at Zhao Liuli and mulled over her words several times before saying, “Older cousin Liuli, it was my fault. I broke your hairpin. Please be magnanimous as my superior. Don’t act like me and fuss over this.”

As Li Xiang said this, she clenched the fist that was inside her sleeve. She had always been in a high position and behaved overbearing to others. She never had to grovel and beg for mercy.

And she had done this in front of Wei Luo!

She didn’t have to look to know the current expression on Wei Luo’s face.

If she didn’t have to beg Empress Chen to forgive her, she would never lower her head in front of Wei Luo.

The more she thought about it, the angrier that Li Xiang became. Everything must have been schemed by Wei Luo. She had deliberately lured her here so that she would be readily caught. She was truly despicable and shameless…

Zhao Liuli didn’t say whether or not she forgave her. She took the hairpin that Yun Zi handed over, brought it closer to look, sucked her lips in, and very regretfully said, “It’s broken like this. It definitely can’t be fixed… I really like this hairpin…”

Li Xiang pursed her lips tighter.

At the side, Gao Dan Yang naturally also saw the raised hairpin. She made a noise in surprise and pointed at the part where the butterfly was broken off. “It doesn’t look like it had broken off from falling. It seems more like someone had torn it off…”

Hearing this, Empress Chen deeply looked at Li Xiang.

Li Xiang hurriedly lowered her head and defended herself. “I won’t hide this from jiumu. I didn’t have a good hold of it before and accidentally knocked it against the mirror. That’s how it broke. I definitely didn’t have any intention of damaging older cousin Liuli’s stuff.”

Empress Chen stayed silent before slowly asking, “Was it really not intentional? This empress remembers that you don’t like to play with Liuli. Why did you suddenly have an interest with her stuff? If you only wanted to look, Liuli would have shown it to you. Why did you sneakily come here to look?”

These words had undisguised irony. The criticism was directed towards her. Everyone here knew that she was close with Zhao Lin Lang and cold with Zhao Liuli. Now, she had done something to her stuff. Even if it had been unintentional, she would be unable to give a convincing explanation in self-defense. In addition, she had done this intentionally. Even if she had a mouth as long as her body, she wouldn’t be able to defend her innocence.

Li Xiang clenched her teeth. Just as she wanted to say more, she heard Empress Chen slowly say, “Never mind. Your mother will come to the palace. Since she hasn’t raised her child well, then this empress will teach you how a girl of your status should behave in front of her.”

Stunned, Li Xiang looked up. She felt her extremely incredulous.

To have her mother called to the palace and to discipline her in front of her mother. Wasn’t that intentionally damaging their reputation?

She opened her mouth, “Your Majesty….”

However, Empress Chen didn’t give her any more opportunities to refute. Empress Chen turned around and left the back of the hall without saying if she wanted her to continue to kneel or if she could stand up. Zhao Liuli and Gao Dan Yang directly followed Empress Chen to also leave. Wei Luo was behind them.

Li Xiang looked up to hatefully glare at Wei Luo.

Wei Luo lifted her eyes to look at her. An imperceptible smile flashed through her eyes. She came closer, then leaned over and quietly said, “Li Xiang, do you know how to write foolishly stupid?”

Li Xiang clenched her teeth and didn’t say anything.

Wei Luo faintly smiled and continue, “Originally, I didn’t know. But after seeing you today, I suddenly understand.”

Then, ignoring Li Xiang’s stare, she caught up with Liuli and left together.

Li Xiang looked at her departing figure. Her nails were deeply embedded in her flesh, but she didn’t feel the slightest pain.

An hour later, Elder Princes Gao Yang Zhang came to the palace from Prince Ru Yang’s residence.

With a graceful bearing, Elder Princess Gao Yang walked into Zhao Yang Hall. She was wearing a honey color robe, an outer robe decorated with plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemum, and bamboo, and a light green skirt.

Before she had come here, she heard the Empress Chen was looking for her, but she didn’t know the reason. As soon as she entered the hall, she saw Empress Chen and a few steps below her, there was Li Xiang with her head lowered. Her face immediately stiffened. She was preoccupied as she first saluted, then she straightened to asked, “What has Xiang-erdone to upset older sister-in-law to the point of especially inviting me into the place?”

Elder Princess Gao Yang loved her daughter dearly. Seeing Li Xiang pitifully standing there without a seat, her heart inevitably felt bad. So the tone of her voice had been her slightly acidic when she asked her question.

Empress Chen picked up a white jade cup with a hibiscus pattern from a square table, lowered her head to take a sip of e mei mao feng tea, and unhurriedly said, “Of course, there was a reason why I called you here. If there wasn’t anything important, you probably wouldn’t b4e willing to take even one step into my Qing Xi Palace.”

Elder Princess Gao Yang was stifled by her words.

Empress Chen faintly glanced at her and allowed her to sit down on a rosewood chair. “Mama Qiu, bring over the hairpin that Liuli used for her hairpin ceremony. Let Elder Princess look at it.”

Mama Qiu made a noise of acknowledgement. Soon after, she brought the hairpin that had been broken into two pieces over on a tray to Zhao Xuan.

Zhao Xuan glanced at it. Confused, she asked, “Why does older sister-in-law want me to look at this?”

Empress Chen didn’t answer her question. In an indifferent tone, she said, “It couldn’t be that Elder Princess usually curtails her children’s spending? To the point that your daughter doesn’t even have a single presentable hairpin? Today, Li Xiang saw Liuli’s hairpin, then she secretly took it out to see. I won’t mention the looking. But, not only did she look, she broke it.”

After a pause, seeing that Elder Princess Gao Yang’s face had turned ugly, she continued, “If this was a normal hairpin, this empress would feel its beneath my dignity to fuss over it. But, my son gave this hairpin to Liuli and it was used for her adulthood ceremony. It has exceptional significance. How could this empress not feel upset?”

Hearing these words, Zhao Xuan calmed down. After thinking, she said, “Where was this hairpin made? I’ll have someone make another one for Liuli. Why does older sister-in-law have to be so angry? Xiang-er didn’t do this intentional. Don’t scare her.”

“Does Elder Princess still not understand this empress’s meaning?” Empress Chen put down the white jade cup on the table. She became sterner and her voice was severe as she said, “Would paying a hairpin fix the problem? She dare to casually take something that a princess used for her hairpin ceremony. What do established rules meant to her? Useless or empty words? Has she developed into the temperament that she had today because you never taught her these rules?”

Reprimanded by her in front of Zhao Yang Hall’s palace servant girls, Zhao Xuan suddenly felt as if she had lost her face. She gripped the armchair and said, “Older sister-in-law…”

After looking at her for a moment, Empress Chen look away and lightly said, “Regardless if she done it intentionally or not, Li Xiang’s understanding of rules must be properly taught. By chance, I have a book called Nei Xun. Mama Qiu will read it for her to recite. When Li Xiang recites the entire book, she can leave Zhao Yang Hall.”

Hearing these words, Li Xiang incredulously looked up.

That book had twenty pages. If she had to recite it, she might not even finish until tomorrow morning!

Elder Princess Gao Yang probably also knew this. Although she wasn’t happy with this result, Li Xiang was the one who had done something wrong first. She stood up to plead for leniency, “Older sister-in-law, please be magnanimous. Xiang-er is still a child. Don’t lower yourself to her level…”

However, Empress Chen didn’t acknowledge her words. She tilted her head at Mama Qiu, “Read.”

Mama Qiu opened to the first page of Nei Xun and complied with reading out loud, “Quiet and pure. Leisurely and carefree. Dignified and sincere. The virtues a woman should have are…”

Although Empress Chen normally looked amiable and polite, there was still fire in her bones. After all, she was someone that had been in the battlefields. Even if she had retired and curbed her wings, she had once been an eagle that soared through skies.

She would never forget how Li Xiang and Zhao Lin Lang had bullied Liuli when they were children. When Liuli had fallen into the lake that winter, she had almost lost her life. Although on the surface, it was seventh prince’s fault, her heart knew that Zhao Lin Lang and Li Xiang were definitely related to this incident.

Fortunately, Liuli was okay. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have stopped until she held them accountable.

During the past several years, she had only seemed friendly because they hadn’t committed any crime in an area that was under her control. Today, Li Xiang’s mind had been muddle-headed. She had actually committed a crime under her eyes. How could she lightly let her off?

As Mama Qiu’s slowly read the book, Li Xiang and Elder Princess Gao Yang’s faces didn’t look good.

Li Xiang couldn’t remember anything that Mama Qiu read. She didn’t have the slightest impression even right after MamaQiu finished reading a section.

Empress Chen didn’t continue staying here any longer, “This empress is going back to rest. Li Xiang will stay here to learn. Once she’s finished reciting, order people to inform me. At any time, Mama Qiu will come here to quiz her.” Then, she looked at Elder Princess Gao Yang. With a slightly eased tone, she said, “Does Elder Princess want to talk with this empress in a warm room or stay here to wait?”

Zhao Xuan put away her anger and coldly said, “Thank you older sister-in-law for your kind intentions. I’ll stay here to accompany Xiang-er.”

Empress Chen nodded and didn’t force her. She glanced at Li Xiang, then she said, “Don’t blame this empress for being too harsh. Li Xiang is almost thirteen. Soon, she’ll be married. If she’s not well behaved, after she’s married, she’ll suffer grievances from her mother-in-law. This empress is only thinking about her future.”

Zhao Xuan was immediately full of anger, but she still had to rise from her chair and unwilling say, “Older sister-in-law is right. I’ll properly discipline Xiang-er.”

Empress Chen said, “En.” Then, she left for the warm room.

——–

Inside Chen Hua Hall.

Wei Luo didn’t immediately go home. Liuli had earnestly asked her to stay and keep her company.

Since she didn’t have any urgent tasks and she wasn’t in a good mood, it would be fine to stay here for a while. Zhao Liuli seemed to still be made at Yang Zhen. The day was almost over, but he still didn’t appear. What exactly was he busy with?

(Note: If you’re disappointed about Li Xiang’s punishment being too minor, the important part of her punishment isn’t that she has to stay up all night to memorize a book. It’s that its publicly shaming her mother for failing to to raise her daughter properly and damaging her family’s reputation, which will make it harder for her parents to arrange a good marriage for her.)

The sun set at the western horizon and it was soon nightfall.

Zhao Liuli and Wei Luo had dinner together. The two of them were sitting at a round ironwood table with a marble center. There was a palace meal in front of them. Wei Luo finished drink a bowl of slowly stewed red dates, coconut milk, and snow clam congee. Seeing that the bowl of soup in front Zhao Liuli wasn’t even touched, she reached her hand out and waved it in front of her. “Liuli, what are you thinking about? If you don’t start eating, the dishes will become cold by the time you start.”

Zhao Liuli suddenly returned to her senses. She looked preoccupied with her thoughts as she picked up a white jade spoon, scooped up a spoonful of snow clam congee, and slowly put it into her mouth.

Wei Luo silently sighed in her heart. This wasn’t the type of thing that she should interfere with. She could only pretend that she didn’t know anything.

But, this palace food was pretty good… She picked up a piece of osmanthus and lotus root cake and ate a bite. It was sweet and sticky. She had already eaten three of these. Just as she was about to eat a fourth piece, a shadow was cast on the round table. When she looked up, she saw Yang Zhen standing outside the door wearing black robes. His dark eyes were staring at Zhao Liuli.

Zhao Liuli probably also saw his shadow. But, her heart was mad at him. She engrossed herself in picking up a piece of three-ingredients emerald roll and stuffing the entire piece in her mouth until her cheeks were bulging. She single-heartedly devoted herself to eating and refused to look at him.

Yang Zhen was a bodyguard. He couldn’t enter the room without her permission. He could only stand outside the door. He looked at Zhao Liuli and hoarsely called out, “Your Highness…”

A long time later, Zhao Liuli finally lifted her head and looked at him. Her small face was stretched taut as she stiffly asked, “… Where did you go?”

Yang Zhen was usually reticent and wasn’t good at explaining himself. Facing Zhao Liuli’s question, he only replied, “Come out and take a walk with me.”

Zhao Liuli picked up her silver chopsticks and poked at the almond cheese in front of her. “If older brother Yang Zhen doesn’t tell me where he wants to go, I won’t go.”

She was still mad at him for not appearing for an entire day.

Yang Zhen looked at her. Twilight’s glow was sprinkled on his tall and lonely figure as he stood outside the door. He seemed at a loss of what to do next.

Wei Luo wasn’t willing to meddle in their business. She lowered her head without saying a word and continued eating.

A long time later, Yang Zheng finally conceded. He slowly said, “Today is Your Highness’s birthday. I prepared a gift for you.”

Zhao Liuli’s eyes brightened. She looked up towards him. Her recent unhappiness was completely swept away. “Really? What are you giving me?”

Yang Zhen’s cold face slightly smiled. His thin lips were slightly curved up, “Really.” After a pause, he said, “Your Highness, follow me.”

Other than Liuli’s trusted servant girls, there wasn’t anyone else in the room. One was Yun Zi and the other was Yun Shu. Both of them knew about her relationship with Yang Zhen, but she had secretly ordered them to never mention this in front of Empress Chen.

Zhao Liuli was very moved. She tilted her head and looked at Wei Luo, “Ah Luo…”

So, she still remembered her.

Wei Luo thoughtfully said, “Oh.” Her long, fan-like eyelashes fluttered. In a short while, she said, “You can go… I’ll pretend that I don’t know anything.”

Hearing her words, Zhao Liuli put down her worries and gratefully said, “Then, I’ll be gone for a bit. After you finish eating dinner, I’ll have older brother bring you back.”

Hearing this, Wei Luo paused in getting food. Before she could say, “No need”, Zhao Liuli had already left with Yang Zhen.

She pursed her lower lip. She had abruptly lost her appetite.

She held her cheeks and sunk into contemplation.

Yang Zhen had accompanying Zhao Liuli for so long and had always been considerate of her needs. In the end, Zhao Liuli had fallen in love with Yang Zhen. Although Zhao Jie didn’t always keep her company, he was also always thoughtful and considerate towards her. Then, what did she feel towards Zhao Jie?

——-

After she finished dinner, seeing that Liuli still hadn’t return, Wei Luo wanted to go to the back courtyard to look for her and also walk around to aid her digestion.

There was a large garden behind Chen Hua Hall. There were crabapple trees planted on all sides of the garden. Each tree was near the flowering season and the entire garden was strongly fragrant. During the day, the pink flowers were gorgeous and enchanting. After the flowers were finished blooming, they would bear bright red, crisp and sweet crabapples. They were Zhao Liuli’s favorite.

While it was the blossoming season, it was unfortunately evening. Wei Luo couldn’t see the flowers clearly. She could only see the misty moon and the sparse, bright stars.

Wei Luo didn’t let the palace servant girls follow her as she slowly walked on the limestone paved path. She hadn’t walk far before she saw two people standing beneath a nearby crabapple tree. It was Yang Zhen and Zhao Liuli.

She stopped walking. It wouldn’t be good to disturb them. Just as she was about to turn around to leave, she saw Yang Zhen taking out and opening a cloth bag. There was suddenly brightness. A countless stream of fireflies striving to be the first and fearing to be the last flew out of the bag. They brought yellow flashes of light that lit up that piece of the world.

The fireflies flew all over the place. The light started from the two people and slowly spread to light up the nearby crabapple flowers and the night sky. It seemed as if the lustrous and glories stars were falling from the sky.

A firefly flew in front of Wei Luo and circled around her head for a moment, then light as a feather, it flew away.

She looked at the two nearby people. This scene had also stunned Zhao Liuli. After blankly looking for a long time, she finally recovered and asked Yang Zhen, “Did older brother Yang Zhen disappear for an entire day so that I could see this?”

Yang Zhen nodded and asked, “Do you like it?”

“Like!” She nodded without any hesitation. She tilted her head and looked at the fireflies that were flying further and further away. There was a myriad of lights reflected in her eyes. “Really pretty…”

There were a few fireflies that hadn’t flown away and were flying around them in circles.

Yang Zhen raised his hand several times, but in the end, he finally put his down. He slowly and seriously said, “Its enough that Your Highness likes it.”

Zhao Liuli was smiling in her eyes. Underneath the crab tree, she looked away from the fireflies and put her hands behind her back. “Older brother Yang Zhen, lean down a bit. I have something I want to say to you.”

Yang Zhen leaned down, “What does Your Highness want to say?”

But, she didn’t say. Instead, she said, “Lean down more.”

Yang Zhen leaned over more.

She wasn’t satisfied until his head was next to her and his ears were right in front of her.

Zha Liuli slightly closed and curved her eyes into a smile. She looked at the reticent man in front of her, from his handsome eyebrows down to his cold lips. In the end, she stood up on her toes and kissed his lips without warning.

Yang Zhen suddenly stiffened.

Soft lips had briefly and lightly pressed against his. If he didn’t smell her faint, residual scent, he would have thought that it had been his hallucination.

He slowly straightened and looked at the sincerely smiling, little girl. Her smile was like a kitten that had just successfully stolen milk. She had clearly overstepped the bounds of what was proper, but she didn’t seem to care the slightest bit. She batted her eyelashes and said, “Older brother Yang Zhen never says anything. There’s a lot hidden in your heart, but you never say it out loud. But, it’s okay if you don’t say anything. Just let me say it…” Slightly shy, she pursed her lips. A long time later, with a blushing face, she said, “Kiss me.”

Yang Zhen stared at her in astonishment.

A short while later, he finally couldn’t resist. He leaned over, wrapped his arm around her soft waist, and pressed her against the crabapple tree. His thin lips pressed against her sweet, soft, pink lips. They were touchingly intertwined.

——–

Not far away, after Wei Luo had just seen this scene, a hand from behind covered her eyes.

At the same time, a familiar voice said, “Don’t look.”

Wei Luo, “…”

Her sight had been blocked and there was only darkness left, so the warmth from the man touching her was even more distinct. Not used to this feeling, she struggled. But, Zhao Jie used his other arm to hold her waist and his chin was in the curve between her shoulder and neck. She felt his warm breath on her neck as he said, “Ah Luo, I want to kiss you too.”

Wei Luo stopped resisting, pursed her lips, and said, “You can’t.”

He had already kissed her behind the divider screen today and Her Majesty had almost discovered them. She hadn’t even settled this loss with him. Now, he wanted to kiss her in front of Liuli and Yang Zhen. There was no way she would agree!

This wasn’t an appropriate place to talk. Zhao Jie held her hand and brought her out of this place and under a lushly flowering crabapple tree

The foliage here was dense and provided excellent cover. He wouldn’t have to worry about anyone seeing anything.

Just now, Wei Luo thought of something else. She asked, “You already know about Liuli and Yang Zhen’s relationship? You’re not going to stop them?”

Zhao Jie had been thinking about her the entire day. He only wanted to properly hug her right now. He stood behind her with his arms around her waist. His cheek was touched her soft, delicate cheek. Towards other people’s business, he wasn’t willing to waste extra words. “Yang Zhen is a sincere and loyal person. He’s worthy of Liuli’s trust and hopes.”

Only because of this? He was a little too open-minded.

She had thought he would definitely oppose this.

If Zhao Liuli knew that he thought this way, she would definitely regret being so sneaky in front of him. If she had known this earlier, what was there to be worried about?

Finished saying this, Zhao Jie didn’t say anything for a long time.

He tilted his head and kissed Wei Luo’s cheek. The little girl wanted to evade by turning her head, so he followed the direction of her movement. He held her soft, little earlobe in his mouth and lightly bit and sucked on it. The petite body trembled in his arms. In the end, he couldn’t bear to alarm her too much, so he relaxed his hold on her and hoarsely said, “Ah Luo, this prince has to go Shanxi and probably won’t be back for two months.”

Then, after pausing, he touched his cheek to hers and said, “After I come back, reject Song Hui’s engagement and marry me, okay?”