Chapter 36 How Deep is the Courtyard? (1) This is how obedient a little civet cat should be...

The flames grew teeth, chewing the beautiful words inch by inch. Finally, the teeth gradually disappeared and turned red.

The air was filled with a burnt smell, and the orange-red light reflected on Meng Xuanli's face, flickering and flickering.

The palms of her hands were hot from the fire, but she felt nothing. She just threw the notebooks that carried her soul into the flames one by one.

Until the last spark is extinguished, the box is filled with ashes, and the room is dead silent.

Lu Guanque remained silent the entire time, looking up at her, gazing at every subtle expression on her face. Seeing that she hadn't resisted or regretted anything, his expression turned from gloomy to cloudy.

Suddenly, he stood up and held out his hand to her.

Meng Xuanli was stunned for a moment, then placed his hand in his palm.

Lu Guanque squeezed her hard, pulling her closer, and with his other hand he stroked the back of her neck, forcing her to look at him.

"very good."

His voice was low and hoarse, but every word was clear: "This is how obedient a little cat should be."

Meng Xuanli lowered his eyes, concealing all emotions, and said "hmm" softly.

Lu Guanque locked his eyes on her for a long time, trying to find her flaw. After searching for a long time, he finally just closed his eyes.

"Someone will come and clean up these things." He pulled her around the screen and sat on the edge of the bed. "Sleep with me for a while."

He was exhausted both physically and mentally and needed to rest, and more importantly, he needed to digest her changed personality.

Meng Xuanli took off his outer robe as he said, and quietly lay down on the inside with his back to him.

Lu Guanque was displeased. He turned her around, held her in his arms, and rubbed his chin against her long hair.

Meng Xuanli bit her lower lip, her mind racing. No matter how bad the relationship between Lu Guanque and his father was, they were still father and son after all, and the death of the Duke was a huge matter.

If he doesn't express his stance now, it will affect many things.

Meng Xuanli carefully considered his tone and asked softly, out of concern, "Will the Duke's funeral... be held in the Eastern Capital or in Chang'an?"

Lu Guanque was stunned for a moment, then slowly lowered his eyes and looked at her face.

He looked at her for a long time, so long that Meng Xuanli could hardly maintain the worry on her face.

Suddenly, Lu Guanque curled his lips slightly and said, "What?"

His voice was low and slow, filled with fatigue and sarcasm. "You ask so clearly, are you thinking of returning to Chang'an, which is a long journey, or maybe escaping?"

"Or are you thinking that in Dongdu, you're more familiar with the environment and it would be easier for you to find an opportunity to escape?"

Meng Xuanli was stunned, his fingertips digging deep into his palm. Was he still thinking about guarding against her at this moment?!

She concealed her panic and anger and whispered, "I didn't. I just asked as a rule so I could prepare in advance..."

"You don't have to worry about this." Lu Guanque interrupted her and said without question, "We will do it in Chang'an."

This answer obviously surprised Meng Xuanli.

Logically speaking, the correct thing to do after the Duke's death is to return to his hometown, the Eastern Capital.

Was he staying in Chang'an because he was afraid something might happen along the way? Or was it because there were dangers in Dongdu that he couldn't control?

Lu Guanque seemed to see through her doubts, but he didn't explain. He just said coldly: "Father spent his last days in Changjing recuperating. It makes sense to hold his funeral here."

He paused, then said, "You just need to stay by my side and don't need to know or ask about the rest."

There was an obvious warning in his words. Meng Xuanli pursed his lips and whispered, "I understand."

Lu Guanque's eyes never left her face.

He sighed, thinking of his father's death, the secrets of the past, the unknown enemy, and her who was trying to escape at this moment...

Everything was forcing him to be faster, more ruthless, and more calculated.

#

A few days later, a light drizzle began to fall in Chang'an.

White banners hung low, green-clad people played music, and the air was filled with the scent of burning incense, candles, and paper money.

There was an endless stream of guests coming to pay their respects, all with solemn expressions and speaking in low voices.

Meng Xuanli was dressed in mourning and stood at one side of the mourning hall, expressing his gratitude according to etiquette.

She lowered her head, seemingly weeping, but her eyes were always observing her surroundings.

Lu Guanque was not far away, also dressed in mourning clothes, with a posture as strong as a pine tree, receiving the powerful and important officials who came to express their condolences.

He had a stern expression and deep eyes, and his responses and communications were flawless, giving off a sense of oppression.

However, even at such a moment, Meng Xuanli could clearly feel that there were several obscure eyes staring at him.

It was someone arranged by Lu Guanque.

She smiled slightly, feeling like a chess piece, every move was anticipated and controlled by him.

This feeling of suffocation oppressed her all the time.

While he was in a daze, he heard a slight commotion outside the mourning hall. Meng Xuanli looked up and saw Mr. He and his wife walking slowly in.

Mr. He Er and Lu Guanque bowed and exchanged a few words in a low voice.

Madam He Er followed quietly behind him. She had a bright face and her eyes were full of the gentleness unique to women from the south of the Yangtze River.

Meng Xuanli narrowed his eyes and thought this was a good opportunity.

When Madam He Er came forward to burn incense and offer sacrifices and express her gratitude according to etiquette, Meng Xuanli raised his eyes slightly and their eyes met for a moment.

She tried her best to look sincere and helpless, and said softly, "I'm very grateful to Madam He for coming."

"We had the honor of meeting each other at the wedding banquet last time."

Madam He Er was slightly stunned, obviously not expecting that the Crown Prince's Consort, whose name she had long heard of, would take the initiative to talk to her.

She bowed and saw Meng Xuanli's pale face and pitiful look, and she felt an indescribable sense of closeness in her heart.

Madam He Er smiled and said, "You are too kind, Princess. The Duke has passed away, and it is only right that we come here to show our support."

"I hope the Crown Princess will accept my condolences and take care of herself."

The voice is soft, with a Wu dialect accent, and sounds very pleasant.

Seeing her friendly response, Meng Xuanli felt relieved. He continued her words and asked softly, "I heard that Madam's ancestral home is in Jinling?"

"It's a really nice place, with great people and beautiful scenery."

Her words were not abrupt; they sounded like the common yearning for the south of the Yangtze River among people who had lived in the north for a long time.

Madam He Er replied, "That's right. Although Jinling is not as prosperous as the Eastern Capital, it is still a quiet and elegant place to live."

"It's elegant and livable..." Meng Xuanli echoed softly, then turned sadly, "It's a pity that now..."

As she spoke, she lowered her head again and pressed the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, as if she was very sad.

Seeing her like this, Madam He Er felt even more pity for her. She felt that although the Crown Prince's Consort had a noble status, she was indeed restrained.

She said gently, "If the Crown Princess has some free time, you can go to Jinling for a walk. I will definitely accompany you then."

These words were mostly polite remarks, but they made Meng Xuanli secretly happy. This was exactly the kind of conversation she wanted, a conversation that could lead to future contact.

"Madam's kindness is appreciated by Xuan Li."

Meng Xuanli raised his head and looked at her gratefully, but said no more.

Just then, a new guest came up, and Mrs. He Er felt it inconvenient to stay for long. She said "My condolences" again and left with her maid.

Meng Xuanli lowered his head and clenched his palms with his fingertips.

She wasn't particularly enthusiastic just now, just some pleasantries, mentioning the other person's hometown in passing and expressing her longing for it. Everything was normal communication.

Even if the people around him told Lu Guanque everything, they would not be able to find any fault.

She sighed softly. This weak connection required her to wait patiently for Mrs. He Er to come to her on her own initiative.

#

The carriage was driving on the official road. Xie Mingtan leaned on the soft pillow, looked at the scenery passing by outside the window, and sighed softly.

He Ruheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them, put his arm around her shoulders, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Are you tired?"

Xie Mingtan shook his head: "I'm not tired, I'm thinking about the Crown Prince's Consort."

"Meng Xuanli?" He Ruheng raised an eyebrow, seeming a little surprised. "What do you want her to do?"

"She is Lu Guanque's precious eye. She cannot be touched or spoken of."

"That's why I feel strange." Xie Mingtan sat up straighter.

"Yesterday at the funeral home, I saw that she looked very pitiful, not at all like what you said...like..." She couldn't think of the right words for a moment.

He Ruheng sneered at her words and gently scratched her nose: "My silly Mingtan, you have only met her twice, do you know what it means to know a person's face but not his heart?"

He said with a hint of sarcasm: "That fellow Lu Guanque looks like a rock, but he has fallen on his prince's wife more than once."

"Oh?" Xie Mingtan was genuinely curious and asked, "What's going on?"

"Lu Guanque is very tight-lipped, and I'm not sure why."

He Ruheng lowered his voice: "But I know that he was injured several times, all of which were related to his prince consort."

"Once he was seriously injured and nearly lost his life. Imperial Physician Yu stayed at his house for seven or eight days, but he kept it a secret, saying only that he had caught a cold."

"When people in the palace asked about it, they were all turned away. The reason was that they were afraid that if they dug too deep, it would implicate his beloved."

Xie Mingtan covered his mouth in surprise, "Is this really true? But from what I've seen of her today... she doesn't seem like someone who would act recklessly."

She thought of Meng Xuanli's sad eyes: "They look like a frightened little bird."

"Maybe he's pretending?" He Ruheng said nonchalantly, "Or maybe he's been restrained so harshly by Lu Guanque that he's lost his temper?"

"In short, it's better for you not to ask too much about the couple's affairs." He patted her hand, signaling her not to think too much.

Xie Mingtan fell silent. She always felt that what she saw might not be the truth, but the Crown Princess's expression did not seem to be fake.

If it is true as Heng said, that the prince was injured for her many times but kept it a secret, then behind this concealment, is it the ultimate love, or... the confinement that does not allow outsiders to see?

Is the Crown Princess's gentleness and humility her nature, or the result of long-term repression?

The more Xie Mingtan thought about it, the more he felt that it was necessary to meet Meng Xuanli again, at least to find out where his inexplicable worry and curiosity came from.

"Husband."

She suddenly grabbed He Ruheng's sleeve and said in a softer voice, "After returning to the capital, I want to go see the Crown Prince's Consort and just have a personal chat. How about that?"

He Ruheng immediately shook his head: "No, no."

"The Duke's Mansion is like an iron barrel right now. Not even water can get in, let alone people. If you come here alone, Lu Guanque will find a reason to send you away."

Xie Mingtan expected him to say this, blinked, and gently shook his arm: "So...I have you, my husband!"

"You and the prince were classmates and good friends. Take me with you and tell them... tell them that you've paid your respects and are worried about me, so you came to visit me."

"It's not like he wouldn't even give you face, right?"

He Ruheng looked at her rare coquettish look, feeling amused yet helpless: "You are just very curious."

"Never mind."

He finally compromised and pinched her cheek: "Who made me marry a soft-hearted girl like you?"

"After we return to Beijing, I'll go with you someday."

"But we agreed that we were just going to take a look. No more asking questions, and no interfering in other people's affairs. Did you hear me?"

"I know!" Xie Mingtan immediately smiled and hugged him, "I knew you would definitely take me there!"

He Ruheng hugged her, shook his head and laughed, but he was thinking in his heart how to bring this up to Lu Guanque when the time comes.

After all, visiting his beloved princess is not an easy task.

#

In early July, the cicadas' chirping through the green shade seemed a bit lazy. The waterside pavilion overlooked the lake, and a gentle breeze slightly dispelled the summer heat.

There are fruits and tea on the stone table, and the aroma of agarwood is lingering, which is really pleasant.

Xie Mingtan waved his round fan and his eyes fell on Meng Xuanli.

Meng Xuanli was wearing a light green gauze dress, with her eyes lowered and brows lowered. She held a jade chess piece in her fingertips, but did not make a move for a long time.

"The chessboard is just there anyway. If Princess Consort doesn't mind, how about we play the next game?" Xie Mingtan suggested with a smile, trying to make the atmosphere more relaxed.

Meng Xuanli raised his head, waved his hand, and said softly: "No..."

"I'm not a good chess player, so I won't embarrass myself."

She paused, as if she was afraid of refusing the other person's kindness, and added, "Looking at the fish in the lake is also nice."

Xie Mingtan readily agreed and said with a smile, "Yes, it's tiring to use your brain in this hot weather."

She followed Meng Xuanli's gaze towards the lake: "These koi are really well-raised. The colors are bright and vibrant. It's a joy to look at."

"There's also a pond of koi fish like this in the garden of our hometown in Jinling. Before I got married, my sister-in-law and I would often take fish food there to feed them. They would gather around us when they saw us, and they weren't afraid of people at all."

Meng Xuanli's eyes followed the school of fish, revealing a hint of longing: "It's great, free and unfettered."

Her voice was very soft, as if she was moved by the scene.

Xie Mingtan's brows moved slightly, and he looked up, and saw Meng Xuanli restrained his expression, lowered his head and remained silent.

Xie Mingtan sighed inwardly and continued to talk about the interesting things in Jinling: "Yes, life in Jinling is more leisurely than in Dongdu."

"Especially in the summer, when you go boating on the Qinhuai River, listening to music and feeling the river breeze, all your worries will disappear."

"Even someone as cold as ice as my third brother would smile in the summer."

Xie Mingtan said this, carefully watching Meng Xuanli's reaction.

I saw that she was listening in a trance, her fingertips holding the chess piece loosened, and her eyes were full of longing.

But soon, it turned into bitterness.

"That sounds good..."

Meng Xuanli muttered to herself, then seemed to realize she had lost her composure and hurried to smooth things over: "Madam Xie, you are so knowledgeable and experienced. I really envy you."

"What's there to envy?"

Xie Mingtan smiled and said, "If the Crown Prince's Consort is free, you can ask the Crown Prince to accompany you to Jiangnan for a walk."

"Although he is observing mourning now, he will be able to do it in a year."

Meng Xuanli picked up the slightly cool teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "The prince is very busy with his affairs. How can he be bothered by my little thoughts?"

Xie Mingtan caught her momentary abnormality and became even more suspicious, but he pretended not to know and even teased her a little.

She whispered, "I see that the Crown Prince is very concerned about the Crown Princess. That day in the mourning hall, although he was busy with socializing, he kept glancing at you."

"Maybe he won't express it, but he might be thinking about it in his heart."

These words were like a needle, gently piercing through Meng Xuanli's pretended calmness.

She raised her eyes to look at Xie Mingtan, her voice dry: "Madam Xie, you are joking..."

"The prince is naturally very good. It's my dull personality that only causes him trouble."

The more she spoke, the lower her voice became, as if she was about to burst into tears.

Xie Mingtan's heart tightened when she saw this. How could this look like being held in the palm of her husband's hand and cared for?

This is clearly a manifestation of long-term repression and even fear.

Xie Mingtan could almost conclude that there must be a hidden story behind He Ruheng's words that "Lu Guanque was injured and suffered for her."

She was about to ask a few more questions in a tactful way when He Ruheng's urging voice came from the front yard: "Mingtan, it's getting late, we should say goodbye."

The sound came from far away and gradually got closer. It was obvious that He Ruheng couldn't wait and came over.

Meng Xuanli seemed frightened and stood up immediately. All his emotions were suppressed, but his face was paler than before.

Xie Mingtan felt sorry, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

She stood up, gently shook Meng Xuanli's hand, and whispered, "I got along very well with the Crown Prince's Consort today."

"Please take good care of yourself. I'll send you a letter in a few days, inviting you to Luoshui Pavilion to admire the lotus flowers. Is that okay?"

"I'm just afraid I can't get out."

Meng Xuanli glanced at her quickly, his eyes were extremely complicated, with gratitude, expectation, but more of hesitation.

Xie Mingtan bit his lip, made up his mind, and said firmly: "When the time comes, I will ask He Ruheng to talk to him. I'm sure the prince will agree."

Meng Xuanli did not answer. Xie Mingtan felt sad. He comforted her with a few words and then left with He Ruheng.

Meng Xuanli stood there, looking at the backs of the couple as they left together. Such an intimate relationship was something she dared not hope for.

Turning around, Meng Xuanli's heart settled down.

Madam Xie has a very kind heart. Seeing my attitude, she will definitely find a way to invite me to meet her again after she returns.

In this way, when the time is right, she can use Madam Xie's hand to leave the Eastern Capital.

Thinking of this, Meng Xuanli felt a little better.

But when she saw the person guarding her in the distance, she didn't want to go back to the house, nor did she want to see Lu Guanque again.

So, she pretended to appreciate the flowers, dismissed her attendants, and came alone under the wisteria trellis, where she lay down on a recliner.

The recliner creaked softly, accompanied by the faint fragrance of flowers, which brought a sense of illusory peace.

She took off her disguised emotions and gradually fell asleep amid the chirping of cicadas on this summer afternoon.

#

The sun was setting in the west, and the golden glow of the afterglow cast a soft, warm hue over the back garden.

Lu Guanque chatted with He Ruheng for a few words before he was called to the palace by the emperor. Now he returned home exhausted.

He walked to Tangli Residence but didn't see Meng Xuanli. He asked the servants, who only said that she was relaxing in the back garden and had not returned yet.

Lu Guanque frowned slightly, quickened his pace and walked into the back garden.

The back garden is very large and the woods are deep, so no one can be seen for a while.

"Ali?" He called out, his voice seeming a little abrupt in the silence.

There was no response.

There was only the sound of birds flapping their wings returning to their nests.

Lu Guanque's heart sank suddenly.

A familiar panic, almost engraved into his bones, instantly gripped him.

She escaped again.

How dare she escape right under his nose?

It was after He Ruheng and his wife came to visit...

The anger and pain of betrayal suddenly rushed from the feet to the top of the head.

It almost made him black out.

He turned around suddenly, his face gloomy and terrifying, and was about to give a stern order to seal the gates of the mansion and search the whole city.

In an instant, he caught a glimpse of the flowers in the distance.

On the lounge chair hidden by lush branches, there is a slender, familiar figure.

All his movements froze instantly.

The stabbing pain in my heart suddenly eased, bringing a feeling of weightlessness.

He held his breath, walked over step by step, and pushed aside the drooping wisteria flower spikes.

I saw Meng Xuanli curled up on a recliner, the golden light of the setting sun shining on her, her long eyelashes leaving a light shadow, and her cheeks were lightly pink.

One of her hands hung limply on the edge of the chair, and a few petals fell on her light green gauze skirt.

She slept soundly, with a kind of unpretentious and unguarded calmness and composure.

He looked at her for a long time.

Finally, he squatted down very slowly, reached out his hand, and lifted the hair on the tip of her nose. He moved very carefully, for fear of disturbing her sweet dream.

The surroundings were quiet, with shadows of flowers dancing. Meng Xuanli seemed to be aware of the fiery gaze and sniffed.

Looking up, Lu Guanque was squatting beside the chair, looking at her in the breeze.

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