Chapter 71 Chapter 71 How could she not want him? ...

When Jiangzhu saw Ji Lian's figure from afar, she was frightened out of her wits.

Ji Lian, hair disheveled, shuffled towards him like a wandering spirit. Her face was as pale as snow, her eyes hollow and lifeless. But her lips were piercingly red, with scarlet bloodstains still lingering at the corners. The front of her moon-white robe was stained with specks of red plum blossoms.

At first glance it looked like blood.

When Jiangzhu looked closely, she saw that Ji Lian's eyelids were red and swollen like peaches, which was clearly the sign of crying bitterly. She was holding the black jade hairpin tightly in her hand.

He hurriedly retrieved his cloak and veil from the carriage, quickly stepped forward and wrapped the man tightly. He asked with concern, "Your Highness, what's wrong? Where are you hurt?"

"hurt?"

Ji Lian murmured, lowered her head in a daze, looked at the bloodstain on her collar, and suddenly chuckled, "This is not my bloodstain, it's Xie Tingyu's."

Jiangzhu was shocked, but also a little puzzled, "Then Master Xie was injured?"

"She was indeed injured, but it was me who caused it." The voice behind the veil was fragmented. "I bit her hand, but she also broke my heart. The wound on her hand can be healed with medicine, but who can I turn to for the wound in my heart?"

Ji Lian's fingertips slid across the blood on her clothes and she suddenly laughed miserably, "My wound will never heal because she doesn't want me anymore."

Jiangzhu stood there in a daze, watching Ji Lian stagger onto the carriage. His frail figure seemed precarious, like the last withered leaf on a branch in late autumn, ready to be blown away by the wind at any moment.

Ji Lian leaned weakly against the carriage wall, listening to the dull thud of the wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs. He gently lifted the carriage curtain, and the vermilion lacquer plaque, still draped with red silk, gradually faded from his sight.

He got up early this morning and dressed up, just to let her take one more look at him.

This should have been a festive day, why did it become a time of farewell?

Ji Lian lowered her eyes, staring blankly at her fingertips. Blood stained their pads, and even between them a dark red tinge remained. Suddenly, the scene of the argument resurfaced before her.

Did he bite too hard just now? Xie Tingyu's bloody palm appeared before his eyes. How painful must it be for her? But the man didn't even frown, as if he felt no pain.

What if a scar is left? Every time she sees it, she will remember that he was the one who hurt her. Wouldn't that make her hate him even more?

Ji Lian sat down with her knees hugged, feeling very sad, and curled up in a corner.

The carriage drove smoothly all the way to the palace gate.

Jiangzhu watched Ji Lian staggering into Posa Pavilion, and vaguely guessed that she might have had an argument with Lord Xie.

As Fang Sui entered, he saw Ji Lian suddenly turn around, his empty eyes staring straight at him, "Find me a pair of scissors."

These words startled Jiangzhu so much that she trembled all over.

"Your Highness, do you really need a pair of scissors?"

Ji Lian nodded silently, turned and walked towards the inner room.

Jiangzhu was in a state of confusion. Although it was just an argument, it wouldn't lead to suicide. But he was also worried that His Highness would do something stupid. He could only serve tea and water. After Ji Lian calmed down a little, he asked timidly, "What do you want the scissors for?"

Ji Lian just raised her tear-stained face, with a pair of red eyes from crying, and said in a hoarse voice: "Just bring it to you." After that, she said nothing more.

How could he really dare to take the Crimson Pearl? He was afraid that if he took it, blood would be splattered all over the Posa Pavilion if he wasn't paying attention. But he didn't dare disobey Ji Lian's order.

In a state of great difficulty, Jiangzhu hesitated for a long time before reluctantly going out to find a pair of scissors. He instructed the palace servants, "Go find a pair of blunt scissors, preferably a pair that is rusty and blunt."

Upon hearing this, the palace servants were confused and asked, "Do you really need a pair of scissors like this? Brother Jiang, blunt scissors are hard to find."

Jiangzhu said seriously, "I want something like this. The smaller the better, preferably the kind that can't even be cut with fabric."

The palace servants looked at each other, and although they were full of doubts, they still obeyed the order and left.

After a long while, a pair of rusty, laboriously opened and closed embroidery scissors were presented to Ji Lian. These scissors wouldn't even cut paper, let alone hurt someone.

Jiangzhu stood by, apprehensive. He watched Ji Lian stare at the embroidered scissors in her hand for a long time, then slowly stand up and walk straight to the sandalwood box in the corner. After rummaging for a while, she unexpectedly pulled out a complete set of plain white pajamas.

He suddenly realized, and his heart finally settled down. It turned out that His Highness wanted to clear out the old things related to Lord Xie.

Jiangzhu heaved a sigh of relief. It was all right. It was just a normal behavior after a relationship ended. As long as she didn't cry, make a scene, or even threaten to commit suicide, everything would be fine.

Ji Lian's fingertips trembled as she traced the small "Thank You" embroidered on the inside of her sleeve. Suddenly, she broke down and sobbed. Tears, like pearls from a broken string, rolled down onto her plain white nightgown, soaking a large area of ​​her shoulders.

He stumbled and knelt beside the box, his clothes scattered on the ground like withered petals. He covered his face tightly with his pajamas, and the familiar scent of incense made him cry and tremble all over.

He was reluctant to cut it.

He simply couldn't bear to destroy the pajamas he had embroidered stitch by stitch.

Ji Lian sobbed and muttered to herself, "I've only known Xie Tingyu for a few months, but how could we be called lovers? What did she give me? A jade pendant? A hairpin? Nothing! The jade comb I gave her sank to the bottom of the lake, and now all that's left is this dress she wore."

He clenched the pajamas in his hands. Was the bond between them so shallow that only a piece of clothing remained?

Soft rays of afternoon sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices, weaving strands of golden thread through the floating dust. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, Ji Lian raised her eyes. Against her fair skin, the red mark at the corner of her eye stood out. Her eyes were wet, as if immersed in water. A single, glistening tear dangled from her damp eyelashes, trembling, as if about to fall.

"You can burn this nightgown." Ji Lian said softly. Since he couldn't make up his mind, he could leave the matter to someone else.

Jiangzhu didn't dare to really burn it.

Those involved are often confused, but those who are watching clearly see things. He knew clearly in his heart how much Ji Lian was reluctant to part with this piece of clothing.

Jiangzhu silently retreated outside the hall, deliberately leaving the door wide open and placing the brazier in a conspicuous place where anyone inside could see it. He held the nightgown in his arms, watching the dancing flames in the brazier and counting the ashes drifting in the air.

Sure enough, less than half a cup of tea later, hurried yet unsteady footsteps could be heard from within the hall. Ji Lian rushed out, her face pale. The flickering flames of the brazier instantly drained the last trace of color from her face. Seeing the intact nightgown in Jiangzhu's arms, she felt a wave of relief.

"Give it to me." Ji Lian stretched out his hand, his voice as light as a sigh.

As if thinking of something, Ji Lian turned around and instructed, "Don't close the window too tightly at night, leave some gaps."

At night, Ji Lian clasped her fingers together and lay on the bed in a daze, trying to capture any movement in the hall.

Suddenly, with a snap, the candle on the wall exploded, and a figure suddenly sat up, reflected on the curtain.

Is it her? Is it her? Is she here?

Ji Lian threw back the quilt and ran barefoot to the window. The carved wooden window was flung open, and moonlight poured in like a silver waterfall, casting a cool and clear glow on the ground.

He eagerly leaned out, but the silence outside was eerie. He could only see the shadows of trees swaying on either side of the courtyard, swaying in the moonlight like dark waves. Where were the human figures?

She is not here, it is not her, she did not come tonight.

Ji Lian held her chest and slowly walked back to the bed, stroking the quilt, on which several dark water marks had appeared without her knowing.

The candle wick gradually dwindled, and tears continued to fall. The lone figure sitting on the curtain never moved until the candle flame was completely extinguished and darkness swallowed the entire bedroom.

Sitting there all night.

Ji Lian lived like a walking corpse. From morning till night, he couldn't help thinking of Xie Tingyu.

Seeing the backgammon chess pieces on the table reminded him of his past games with Xie Tingyu. Finding the golden sword brought back memories of their first encounter at Qingliang Villa. Even the purple robe of calamus presented by the palace attendant reminded him of the man who had said that His Highness looked best in purple.

Every little bit of it is heart-wrenching and the tears can't stop flowing.

Sometimes when I'm crying, I keep thinking, can one person shed so many tears?

She didn't come the first night.

On the second night, there was still no sign of her.

The third night, the fourth night... until the fifth long night.

In the darkness, tears flowed from the corners of Ji Lian's eyes like a broken dam, gathering into a cold pool on the pillow.

It turned out that she really didn't want him anymore.

Ji Lian stared blankly at the endless darkness, his heart dead, thinking this in despair.

It turned out that she could be so cruel, so heartless, and could forget him so quickly in just a few days.

How could she not want him? She couldn't want him.

Jiangzhu didn't expect Ji Lian to suffer such a great blow.

She lost her appetite and couldn't sleep. In just a few days, Ji Lian lost weight at a noticeable rate. Her once rosy cheeks became sunken, and even when she spoke, tears would flow before she could even speak. She would often pull out treasured letters from the deepest part of her dressing table and stroke them over and over again.

If Ji Lian continues to indulge herself like this, she might lose half her life. Jiangzhu deeply agrees with this and cannot sit idly by any longer.

He secretly sent several palace maids to inquire what Xie Tingyu had been busy with recently. If possible, he wanted to let the two of them meet, hoping to clarify the misunderstanding between them as soon as possible.

Before the news about Xie Tingyu arrived, the first person to come to Posa Pavilion was Ji Xun.

"I heard that my uncle has been feeling down lately, so I came to visit him."

Ji Xun walked in gracefully amidst the crisp sound of the pearl curtain. He immediately saw Ji Lian leaning on the couch with a dull look on her face.

Ji Xun carefully observed the dark circles under Ji Lian's eyes and said in a childish voice, "I've never heard of a sick beauty before, but now that I've met you, uncle, I finally understand." He handed her a cup of warm tea and said, "Tell me what worries you, uncle."

Ji Lian forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, I just caught a cold."

"So my uncle is sick." Ji Xun blinked. "What a coincidence! The teacher is also sick. She said that her palm is injured and she can't come to teach me horse riding and archery these few days."

"When the teacher's hand injury heals, the three of us will play hide-and-seek together again."

Ji Lian's eyes darkened and she nodded silently.

As they were talking, the palace maid who had gone out to investigate hurried back and was whispering with Jiangzhu outside the palace. Ji Xun, alert to the words "Master Xie", immediately shouted, "Are you talking about my teacher? Come in quickly, I want to hear it."

The palace attendant's expression froze, and he could only bow and enter. "I wonder what the young prince wants to hear?"

"You mentioned Lord Xie just now, but were you saying something bad about my teacher?" Ji Xun asked sternly.

The palace maid was so frightened that she fell to the ground and kowtowed, "Your Highness, spare my life! How dare I criticize you!"

"Then tell me quickly."

The palace maid glanced tremblingly at Jiangzhu and Ji Lian before tremblingly reporting, "Master Xie went to Chunzhen Tower last night at the invitation of Madam Cui. It happened to be when the Supreme Court was investigating a case. It was said...it was said that the men they had selected were related to a recent case, so they were taken to the prison as well."

With a "puff," Ji Lian's teacup accidentally knocked against the table, splashing tea onto his hand. His eyes instantly reddened as he stared at the palace maid, a simmering anger rapidly burning in his chest.

Good, very good. He is here feeling sad, while that person has the leisure to seek pleasure?

It is true that you only see the new people laughing and hear the old people crying.

"Uncle, be careful!" Ji Xun hurriedly took out his handkerchief and asked in confusion, "Where on earth is this Chunzhenlou? How could it have caused the teacher to be imprisoned?"

-----------------------

The author has something to say: I only see the new people laughing, but I never hear the old people crying. --- Du Fu's "Beauty"

Xiao Xie looked puzzled: I don’t know, Cui Yuanying just invited me to have some fun, but who would have thought that I would go to a brothel in the afternoon and end up in jail in the evening.

Lianlian is now angry and sad, no, she is about to be mad at Xiao Xie.

Lianlian: I’m so angry! I’m so angry! I’m both angry and sad!