Chapter 63: Girl Name

However, Pei Ji, who had been staring at him, suddenly had a sharp light flashing across the depths of his pupils at this moment!

He saw it clearly! The bloody mark on Xie Wuqi's left arm was in the exact same spot where he had been injured by Xie Wuqi's malicious attack!

A complex mix of emotions instantly washed over Pei Ji. Shock, astonishment, and then an indescribable, searing feeling welled up within him.

Miss Luo.

That earth-shattering arrow she shot just now was actually for this!

For Pei Ji, he demanded his revenge in public! An eye for an eye, an injury for an injury!

The excitement surging in Pei Ji's chest almost burst through his throat. He suddenly turned his head and looked at Luo Zhaohan.

The girl still held her bow, her slender arms curved smoothly beneath her crimson riding habit. Sunlight filtered through the silver crown that held her hair, refracting tiny glints on the bowstring and highlighting the thick calluses on the inside of her index finger—marks of years of martial arts training.

"call out!"

The white-feathered arrow brushed past Pei Ji's ear and pierced the red center of the straw target, the white feathers at the end of the arrow still trembling. But at this moment, Luo Zhaohan tilted his head and smiled at him, his bright eyes dancing with a light more blazing than the sun.

Pei Ji suddenly felt his fingertips getting hot, as if a flame was burning into his heart along the cinnabar mole at the corner of her eye.

The sound of horse hooves crackled, and he suddenly remembered the thrilling scene just now. If Luo Zhaohan hadn't acted decisively and shot the reins, he would have been the one thrown from the stands by the mad horse.

But when she rode her horse forward, it was obvious that her hairpin had even fallen apart, but she pretended to be relaxed and said, "My hand slipped."

"Thank you, Deputy Commander?" A clear voice brought me back to my thoughts.

Pei Ji was startled to realize that he had unconsciously taken half a step forward, the tip of his boot almost touching the hem of Luo Zhaohan's crimson skirt. As he hurriedly stepped back, he caught a glimpse of Xie Wuqi's sullen face—the man was staring intently at the crooked hairpin in Luo Zhaohan's hair, which she had broken while saving him during the spring hunt last year.

"It seems the deputy commander is here to mess things up today." Luo Zhaohan suddenly raised her voice, her slender fingers casually plucking the bowstring. "It's a pity that this lady hates to suffer losses. That arrow just now..." She deliberately dragged out the last word, her eyes sweeping over the belt around Xie Wuqi's waist, "Just consider it a return gift."

A murmur of discussion erupted from the audience. Everyone knew that three months ago, when the Xie family broke off the engagement, Luo Zhaohan had broken the engagement jade pendant in the street.

The way she acted at this moment seemed like she was seeking justice for the old matter.

Xie Wuqi's veins bulged on the back of his hand as he gripped the reins. He could clearly see blood seeping from Pei Ji's dark wrist guard—it was from the iron arrow that had grazed him when the mad horse lost control.

Luo Zhaohan was not thinking about breaking off the engagement, he was clearly trying to stand up for this guy named Pei!

"Miss Luo has become quite capable." He sneered, pointing the jade whip at Pei Ji, "I just don't know if Lord Pei, who is so delicate, can still hold the imperial gift."

"Thank you, Deputy Envoy!" Princess Liuyang suddenly interrupted, tapping her gold armor against the sandalwood fence. "I heard you just got a Dayuan colt. Why don't you let me take a look?"

This was a clever remark, offering both a way out and a hidden warning. Xie Wuqi's sinister gaze wandered between Pei Ji and Luo Zhaohan, finally settling on Xinyi Zhaoyang, who sat at the end of the viewing area.

The woman was playing with the fish token on her waist, which was a token that could mobilize the imperial guards.

"The princess is right." Xie Wuqi suddenly put away his whip and laughed, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "I will go to get the horse now." When he turned around, he seemed to accidentally kick the copper bell thrown by Pei Ji. The bell rolled to the edge of Luo Zhaohan's skirt, making a tiny mournful sound.

Pei Ji watched the receding black cloak and suddenly felt a burning pain in the wound on his arm. He turned to leave, but saw Luo Zhaohan lean over and pick up the bronze bell. His white fingertips brushed away the dust and gently placed the object on his bloodstained wristband.

"The commander's bell." When she raised her head, the fragrance of plum blossoms filled her sleeves.

Pei Ji's Adam's apple rolled, and he finally murmured a low "Thank you." Turning around, he saw Sun Honglei standing blankly on the sidelines, clutching half a carved jade pendant in his hand—the very prize that Luo Zhaohan had shot down during last year's autumn hunt.

The old plum tree beside the field shed a few flakes of snow. Sun Honglei watched Pei Ji's receding figure, the jade pendant in his palm almost digging into his flesh. Three months ago, at the evening banquet at the former prince's mansion, he had witnessed Luo Zhaohan return the matchmaker's engagement letter intact.

But when she ran towards Pei Ji just now, she clearly broke even the mutton-fat jade forbidden step that she had to hold in her arms to protect herself in case she fell off the horse.

"Hong Lei, aren't you leaving yet?" Ye Yiheng had returned at some point, his black iron wristband stained with grass debris. "If you're any later, the wine will get cold."

Sun Honglei suddenly woke up. Yes, he and Miss Luo still had an appointment with Merlin!

He looked at Luo Zhaohan who was sorting her quiver. The golden hairpin in the girl's hair swayed slightly with her movements, casting a slender shadow on the snow, which just overlapped with the footprints left by Pei Ji on the sand.

The clamor of the court was blocked out by heavy curtains, leaving only a deliberately created silence within the stands. Luo Zhaohan walked back with Princess Liuyang, Chao Yinzhen, and Princess Xinyi, Zhaoyang, but his pace involuntarily slowed down.

It was so quiet, abnormally so. Those palace servants and eunuchs who had been standing in the corners, watching the situation, had disappeared without a trace!

An inexplicable chill crept up his spine. Luo Zhaohan frowned, subconsciously quickening his pace. Almost simultaneously with Chao Yinzhen, who also walked with a hint of doubt, he reached out and lifted the brocade curtain leading to the main stand.

The scene behind the curtain made Luo Zhaohan's heart sink suddenly.

In the huge private room of the stands, the Crown Princess was the only one left.

She sat alone on the main seat, her back straight, yet revealing an indescribable loneliness. What shocked Luo Zhaohan even more was that the Crown Princess didn't even have a maid to serve her personally! This was absolutely impossible in terms of etiquette, emotion, and reason!

Luo Zhaohan's eyes were like lightning, quickly and calmly sweeping across the Crown Princess's face. She had her head slightly lowered, her thick, long eyelashes clinging together wetly, and the tip of her nose was slightly red—she had clearly been crying!

This discovery made Luo Zhaohan breathless.

Then, her gaze involuntarily fell to the Crown Princess's folded hands. Those hands, fair and slender, were now clasped in an extremely unnatural position, the left palm gently covering the right wrist.

And just where the wide cuffs of the bright yellow palace dress failed to completely cover, Luo Zhaohan's sharp eyes caught a glaring mark!

A fresh, winding red mark, as if left by a strong grip!

What happened? What on earth happened here in the short time they were away?

"Sister-in-law!" Chao Yinzhen had clearly sensed the strange atmosphere. She forced an innocent expression on her face, but her voice was barely perceptible with a hint of tension. She took a few quick steps forward, her gaze sweeping around the empty space. "Where's Madam Tu? Why isn't there even a servant? Where did all those palace servants go to slack off?"

The Crown Princess shuddered slightly upon hearing the voice. She jerked her head up, her usual gentle smile instantly plastered on her face, though it seemed forced, as if shrouded in a thin layer of mist.

Almost subconsciously, she pulled down the sleeve of her left hand that was covering her right wrist, completely covering the suspicious red mark.

"Yinzhen is back?" The Crown Princess' voice was still gentle, but with a barely perceptible hoarseness. "I just suddenly missed Yunye, and thinking about the excitement of the Ju competition, I asked Madam Tu to go to the East Palace and bring him here to see him."

She paused, her gaze directed towards the field, her tone tinged with just the right amount of worry. "I just didn't expect the competition to be so intense, with swords and horses' hooves acting as a dangerous threat. Yunye is so young, and I was worried about frightening him, so I quickly sent a young eunuch to chase after Madam Tu and tell her not to bring Yunye here. Madam must be on her way back now."

This explanation sounds reasonable and flawless.

However, just as the Crown Princess finished her words, while the words seemed to still be lingering in the air—

"Empress! I have brought the little emperor..." The curtain at the back was suddenly pulled open, and the figure of Madam Tu rushed in with a dusty and anxious look.

She seemed to want to say something, but when she looked up, she suddenly met the gazes of Luo Zhaohan, Chao Yinzhen and Princess Xinyi Zhaoyang. It was as if her throat was strangled, and the last word "Sun" was stuck in her throat, and her face turned pale instantly.

The Crown Princess quickly stood up, her demeanor still dignified. She calmly interrupted Madam Tu's unfinished words, "Now that the competition is over, I'm a little tired. I'll return to my bedroom to rest for a while. The dinner tonight is still a while away."

She turned to Chao Yinzhen, her smile warm, but deep in her eyes was a hint of imperceptible fatigue and a plea, "Yinzhen, you and my sisters Liuyang and Zhaoyang are about the same age, so it's a good opportunity for you to talk to each other. Please keep them company for me."

Chao Yinzhen looked at the Crown Princess's forced calmness, and doubts welled up in his heart, but he could only suppress them and nodded obediently: "Don't worry, sister-in-law, go and rest. We will take good care of ourselves."

"Farewell, Her Majesty the Crown Princess." Luo Zhaohan and Xinyi Zhaoyang also hurriedly saluted.

The Crown Princess nodded slightly, and with Nanny Tu almost half-hiding her with her body, she was supported by her, and with a slightly unsteady step, she quickly disappeared behind the heavy curtains. The bright yellow figure exuded the sense of a hasty escape.

Luo Zhaohan stood there, his gaze fixed on the direction where the Crown Princess had disappeared, his brow furrowed. The red mark on his wrist, the solitary figure weeping, the hastily evacuated palace maids, Madam Tu's terrified expression...

These fragments spun rapidly in her mind, but she couldn't piece together a clear answer. A strong sense of unease lingered in her heart.

"Sister Zhaohan?" The clear voice of Princess Xinyi Zhaoyang brought her back to her senses.

Chao Yinzhen had already affectionately put his arm around Luo Zhaohan and Xinyi Zhaoyang, one on each side, a bright smile on his face again, as if the previous incident had never happened. "Alright, alright, my sister-in-law is going to rest, so let's not stand around like idiots. It's still early before the dinner, so let's have lunch first! I know they've just transplanted some exotic flowers to the west corner of the Imperial Garden, and they're in full bloom. Let's go take a look after lunch."

Xinyi Zhaoyang's attention was immediately drawn, and he nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay!"

Luo Zhaohan suppressed the doubts that were surging in his heart and showed a faint smile: "Okay, I'll listen to the princess." At the moment, there was no way to find out, so he could only wait and see.

Led by several clever palace maids, the three of them quietly left through the side door of the stands, leaving behind the mysterious silence.

…

On another corridor leading to the East Palace's sleeping hall, Nanny Tu held the Crown Princess's arm tightly, but her own palms were cold and wet, and her heart was beating like a drum, almost bursting out of her chest.

The scene just now still made her feel scared, and her soul seemed to be scattered.

Who could have imagined? Who could have imagined that the Second Prince Chao Yinlong could be like a ghost, avoiding the eyes and ears of all the guards and palace servants, and quietly breaking into the stand where the Crown Princess was alone!

At that moment, she came back holding the little prince Yunye, lifted the curtain and saw the tall and gloomy figure. She was so scared that she almost screamed on the spot!

What made her even more heartbroken was that after so many years, the Second Prince still dared to be so presumptuous towards the Crown Princess, even calling her by her maiden name "Jin'er"!

Thinking of this, Nanny Tu felt a chill rushing from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. The fingers holding the Crown Princess's arm tightened unconsciously, and her knuckles turned white.

Back then, it was indeed the Second Prince who first met the Crown Princess. Back then, the Crown Princess was still Xia Yujin, the daughter of the Grand Tutor's family. But how can love in this world be judged simply by who came first? The Crown Prince also had a deep and sincere love for the Crown Princess.

It's a pity... God is blind and has caused His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to fall seriously ill. Whenever she thinks of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince lying on his sickbed but still looking at the Crown Princess tenderly, endless bitterness wells up in Nanny Tu's throat.

"Mammy..." The Crown Princess's weak voice echoed faintly, carrying a strained exhaustion that interrupted Mammy Tu's chaotic and painful thoughts. "When we meet Yunye later, we must not let him notice anything unusual. This child is too meticulous and sensitive."

Nanny Tu suddenly came to her senses and turned to look at the Crown Princess beside her. Her face was as pale as paper, and her eyelashes were drooping, unable to hide the deep sadness and panic between her brows.

Nanny Tu's throat choked, and she suppressed her sorrow as she whispered, "Yes, Madam, I will save you the trouble."

…

In stark contrast to the oppressive heaviness of the Eastern Palace, Tingyu Pavilion in the western garden of the temporary palace was filled with warmth, with a soothing sweet fragrance wafting from the incense burner.

The young Prince of Jin, Chao Yinxi, had only just come of age this year and had just welcomed his daughter in June. At this moment, he was wearing only a simple, elegant, moon-white, casual gown and sitting leisurely on a low couch covered with a thick velvet blanket.

In his arms, he carefully cradled a delicately swaddled infant. The little one slept soundly, his cheeks rosy and his breathing even. "Your Highness, your arms must be sore from holding this for so long. Rest now," a gentle voice rang out from the inner chamber.

Princess Bai Shiyin of Prince Jin walked out gracefully. She was also wearing a plain moon-white long dress, without any makeup, with curved eyebrows and eyes. She was like warm jade, exuding a quiet and gentle aura.

Chao Yinxi raised his head upon hearing the voice and saw his princess. An undisguised gentle smile instantly spread across his deep eyes. He freed one hand and extended it towards Bai Shiyin.

Bai Shiyin's cheeks flushed slightly, and she walked over to the couch with a smile, sitting down next to Chao Yinxi. As soon as she leaned over, Chao Yinxi's strong arms gently pulled her into his broad and warm embrace.