Watching a play

There was a faint sound of wind chimes outside the window. Jing Yao had a dreamless night. He opened his eyes to the crisp sound and found that he had slept until noon.

He felt refreshed and was wearing clean and soft underwear. It seemed that he had taken a bath yesterday.

"Bo Yue, Zhi Yue." Jing Yao rubbed his temples and called the maid to come in to help her wash and dress.

She subconsciously called out the names of her two maids, who walked quickly into the tent one after the other.

The taller and slightly older one in the front was Bo Yue, with long hair tied back. She was thin and gaunt, with a shrewd face and usually very efficient. The girl behind her with two buns hanging from her ears was called Zhi Yue. She had a round and short face, like a cute New Year doll. She was half a head shorter than Bo Yue, but extremely strong.

Bo Yue spun the wet jade comb dry and combed Jing Yao's thick black hair straight, tying it into a beautiful downy bun. Zhi Yue then gently wiped her face with a wrung-out warm towel.

The maid quietly placed breakfast on the table and left. Jing Yao squinted his eyes, looking like he was still asleep. "Why didn't you wake me up this morning?"

Bo Yue lowered her head slightly and explained, "In reply to Madam Jing, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that you should have a good rest and there is no need to wake you up early."

"knew."

Jing Yao glanced at the food on the table, all of which were arranged according to her preferences.

After sleeping for over a day, Jing Yao still felt a bit dazed. He wondered if it was a lingering symptom of having lived a new life.

She opened the window, and the warm spring breeze, carrying the faint fragrance of pear blossoms, blew towards her face.

Jing Yao was stunned for a moment: "What month is it now?"

Bo Yue and Zhi Yue looked at each other, both somewhat puzzled. Bo Yue forced a smile and jokingly said, "My lady must have slept too long and forgotten... It's March now, and you just celebrated your birthday on March 4th the day before yesterday."

March... no wonder, it's the season when the pear blossoms begin to bloom.

Jing Yao finally realized he had asked a strange question and walked down the stairs with a smile: "I was a little confused after sleeping. Zhiyue, go ask someone to bring some more hot water. I want to take a bath."

"yes."

Zhiyue saw her smile pause for a moment, then immediately nodded and left.

The maids rarely saw Jing Yao smiling.

It was common knowledge in the palace that Jing Yao and the Crown Prince did not have a good relationship. Ever since the Crown Prince arranged for Jing Yao to stay with Lady Jing, they had become accustomed to her indifference towards the Crown Prince.

Jing Yao turned and walked away from the window, his eyes sweeping over Bo Yue who was still pretending to smile beside him, but he saw that she suddenly trembled all over after meeting his gaze.

She had a mediocre relationship with the two personal maids Si Pei had assigned her. The two girls were a couple of years younger than her, and she probably often heard gossip and anecdotes from the palace maids. There were so many people who disliked Jing Yao that it was inevitable that they would make up stories.

But Jing Yao didn't understand. She had been with them for such a long time in her past and present lives, and she had never lost her temper with anyone except Si Pei. Were they so scared?

Jing Yao suddenly became interested and walked over to Bo Yue, lifting her chin. Her expression was already cold when she wasn't smiling, and now her frown was even more pronounced. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No, no!" Bo Yue slumped to her knees, practically burying her head in the floor. She stammered and looked flustered, and Jing Yao saw it clearly: "Aren't you afraid of shaking?"

Seeing that Bo Yue was so anxious that she was about to cry, Jing Yao was not only extremely surprised, but also realized that it was not good to pretend too much, so his tone became a little gentler: "Get up first. I won't punish you, I just want to hear the truth. Are you afraid of me?"

Bo Yue looked up at her tentatively. Jing Yao's pair of light-colored phoenix eyes held a hint of smile, tenderness mixed with seriousness. She didn't dare lie anymore and nodded in admission, "Yes... there are some."

Jing Yao propped up his chin and asked her, "Why?"

Eh?

Bo Yue showed a look of surprise, but the beauty was not angry. Instead, she asked her with great interest why and what was going on.

Should she tell the truth? Was Miss Jing testing her?

Jing Yao felt her throat was a little dry and picked up a cup of honey tea from the table to moisten her throat. Seeing that the maid in front of her was still silent, she was very confused: "Why are you not talking again?"

Zhiyue happened to come back, so Jing Lingyi turned her attention to the younger girl: "Zhiyue, come here."

Zhiyue came over obediently, holding a washed and wrung-out towel in her hand.

Jing Lingyi blinked: "Zhiyue, have you ever heard any rumors about me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhiyue's almond-shaped eyes widened like bells. She looked at Boyue, whose eyes were red and wet, and fell to her knees, crying, "Miss, you are being wronged! I really haven't heard anything!"

Seeing Zhiyue's big reaction, Boyue also knelt back and begged for mercy. The two of them cried and wailed, making Jing Lingyi, who was standing calmly beside them, look like he had done something bad.

"You guys..." Jing Lingyi's head hurt from the noise. She took a deep breath and said, "Shut up! Stop crying and tell me the truth, have you ever heard anything? If you lie again, I'll throw you out."

It was no use for her to talk to them nicely. Once she got angry, the two girls really became obedient.

"My lady, we heard this from Madam Sun in the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Zhiyue confessed everything, saying that before they came, Nanny Sun from the Ministry of Internal Affairs helped the Eastern Palace select maids. Nanny took on the job but was very talkative. She told the maids in private that Miss Jing had a changeable and bad temperament, was a playboy, had affairs with many men, was cruel and vicious, and loved to torture those around her.

The more Jing Lingyi listened, the tighter her brows furrowed. She admitted that she was a little naughty, but the last part was simply fabricated.

She's always been kind to those around her! She only messes with those she dislikes. Her methods are usually gentle, not ruthless at all.

Also, what does it mean to be a playboy and have affairs with many women?

Jing Lingyi had lived for so many years, but only today did she realize that she had actually owed a debt of love...

Interesting, really interesting.

The two maids stood there in shock, not daring to speak. Jing Lingyi leaned closer to them and asked, "So, do you think I'm the same as the rumors say?"

After saying that, she leaned back on the soft pillow: "Tell the truth."

Bo Yue hesitated, Zhi Yue gritted her teeth and spoke first: "I think it's different."

Although Jing Lingyi in the East Palace treated the prince coldly and capriciously, she never made things difficult for them.

"On the contrary, it is you servants who have been maliciously speculating about you based on the rumors you heard..."

Bo Yue was crying with guilt, and Jing Yao quickly told them to get up: "Okay, stop crying. I didn't mean to scare you, I was just really curious."

If she doesn't ask clearly, she might not be able to live peacefully in the East Palace in the future.

"It's good that it's talked about now." Jing Yao nodded slightly and asked Zhiyue to take the towel to iron it again.

After washing up, the food on the table was already cold, and Jing Yao had even less desire to eat. Bo Yue was worried: "My wife, you still need to eat something. Is there anything you want to eat?"

Jing Lingyi thought carefully, and a picture emerged in her mind: white steam rising, white and smooth wontons floating in the white soup, and the aroma was fragrant.

"Wontons." Jing Lingyi replied suddenly, "I want to eat wontons."

"Yes." Jing Yao finally wanted to eat something, so Bo Yue naturally didn't dare to delay for a moment and gave the order.

After breakfast, it was almost noon. Jing Yao didn't need to eat lunch again, but it was boring to stay alone in the bedroom. After thinking about it, he asked Bo Yue: "Has His Royal Highness the Crown Prince returned to the palace?"

She rarely asked about Si Pei's whereabouts. Bo Yue guessed that Jing Yao was afraid of seeing the Crown Prince. "My lady, the people in the kitchen said that after the court session this morning, His Highness went to De Shou Palace to pay his respects to the Queen Mother. He also accompanied the Queen Mother to dine and watch a play, so he didn't go back to the East Palace for lunch."

"Is that so..."

Jing Yao had almost forgotten that Queen Dowager Xuan was still a problem. Si Pei had taken her away from the Dali Temple. If she didn't give the Queen Dowager an explanation, it would be difficult to resolve this matter.

The atmosphere within Deoksugung Palace was peaceful and harmonious. Queen Dowager Xuan took the main seat, with a special banquet set aside for Crown Prince Simeong. Grandparents and grandchildren sat at the table, while a troupe specially invited by Queen Dowager Xuan performed "Jiang Tanhua Lighting the Lantern," one of the most famous operas in Shanghuacheng at the time.

"Li Hong, take a look at this playlist. Is there anything you want to order?"

Si Pei had no particular fondness for watching operas or listening to music, but today he had come to show the Empress Dowager his affection for his grandchildren. He returned the memorial with a bow and said, "Everything will be done according to the Empress Dowager's wishes. Your grandson will like it."

Queen Dowager Xuan smiled and nodded, then put the play script away and set it aside. She sighed softly and said something meaningful, "I'm afraid some things can't go according to my wishes."

"Grandmother, you're joking." Si Pei looked at the actors in the audience. "What could possibly go wrong in the palace? Your grandson would rather you not work too hard, take a break, watch some operas, play with the birds, and enjoy your remaining years in peace... wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?"

The Queen Mother Xuan's smile froze on her face. Si Pei knew that she had spies all over the imperial city, and her words were implicitly advising her not to meddle in other people's affairs and to be careful about her own escape route.

This little bastard Si Lihong is extremely cold-blooded.

She sneered, "I don't want to bother with this either, but I'm worried that the younger generation will become arrogant, lose their way, and be exploited by others without even realizing it. I'm afraid that the Si family's empire in Xijing will be destroyed..."

"Grandmother, be careful with your words." Si Pei interrupted, his phoenix eyes glaring at the Queen Mother Xuan in front of him. "I'm afraid you're tired. You should get some rest."

Queen Dowager Xuan suppressed her anger. "I'm not old enough yet. Si Lihong, how long are you going to keep pretending to be a close grandparent? Haven't you done enough to pretend to obey but secretly disobey? I've painstakingly planned everything for your own good. Do you know what foolish things you've been doing?!"

Si Pei pretended not to hear anything as he wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, then folded them one by one and put them back on the table.

"If the Empress Dowager finds staying in the palace boring, the Western Garden Palace has been renovated. You can choose a day to go there and relax."

Si Pei was about to stand up after saying this. Queen Dowager Xuan was furious. "The Emperor is still here, and you, Si Pei, are just a mere Crown Prince. Even if you've lived in the Eastern Palace for twenty years, do you really think your position is secure enough? Do you really think the entire court would allow you to marry that criminal daughter of the Prince of Jin's faction? Li Hong, oh Li Hong, you're overthinking it! Do you think everything will go your way, that you can cover the sky with one hand? I'm telling you, with just one word from me, your position as Crown Prince will be over!"

Queen Dowager Xuan stared at Si Pei's stopped back with her eyes wide open.

Si Pei turned around slowly, revealing a smile that barely reached his eyes: "In my opinion, Queen Mother, you are much more arrogant than I am. Who I marry is my own business, you should take care of yourself first."

After saying this, he left Deoksugung Palace without looking back.

Si Pei originally didn't want to do anything too extreme, but unfortunately Queen Dowager Xuan didn't give him the chance.

Seeing Si Pei really leave, Queen Dowager Xuan was furious and immediately ordered to summon several university scholars from the front cabinet. Unexpectedly, those people all made excuses and no one dared to come.

All her informants had been eliminated by Si Pei, and now she was unable to do anything, not even trying to spread the news or create public opinion. If she did, she would probably be quickly controlled by Si Pei.

"How can this be!" Queen Dowager Xuan swept all the cups, plates and wine glasses on the table to the ground with a wave of her sleeve, scaring the troupe so much that they stopped performing.

"Get out of here!" Queen Dowager Xuan never expected that all the old ministers of her party had been secretly instigated by Si Pei to rebel, leaving her alone.

The gates of Deoksugung Palace opened wide, and a group of guards rushed in:

"Empress Dowager, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has ordered us to escort you to the Xiyuan Palace for recuperation. We will depart immediately."

Before one problem was solved, another one arose. The successive blows made Queen Dowager Xuan unable to refuse Si Pei's arrangement. The attendants around her remained silent and watched her being taken away by the imperial guards.

Since when, Si Pei's spies have been everywhere around her, and the offense and defense have long been reversed.

Haha, he is just as good at pretending and acting as Si Pei.

Queen Dowager Xuan got on the carriage angrily, thinking that she was only leaving the palace temporarily and would come back eventually.

As for Si Pei, she wanted to watch Jing Yao, who held him dearly, send him into an irretrievable situation...

"A-choo!"

Jing Yao, who was reading in the bedroom, suddenly sneezed. Bo Yue beside him said worriedly, "My lady, have you caught a bit of a spring cold? I'll close the window."

Jing Yao nodded, but he had an inexplicable premonition in his heart.

I'm afraid someone is scolding her behind her back.

Just as she was about to turn to the next page, the little ball-like figure ran into the bedroom and stopped in front of her: "Miss! Something big is happening in the palace!"