Chapter 12 She collapsed weakly into the Emperor's arms, her embrace heavy. ...

"His Highness the Prince of Yan has arrived."

When Yuan Chaolu returned to the Yuan residence, it was already dusk. The sky was overcast and there was a threatening rain. She had only taken off the curtain for a short while when Heyi came from outside to report that His Highness the Prince of Yan had come to visit, which startled her.

He Yi said, "This time it is the Prince of Yan himself who has come, not his guards. He is in the front hall right now and has come to apologize to you."

Yuan Chaolu did not hesitate for a moment and said, "I would like to trouble Sister Heyi to go and tell her that I am not available to receive guests."

"Why?" He Yi was very puzzled.

Yuan Chaolu only told her to go and give a reply, and not to delay.

About an incense stick later, He Yi returned to report, carrying several beautiful wooden boxes. Upon opening them, one could see that they were filled with jewels and hairpins, and on a tray to the side were also displayed elegant dresses and fine clothes, a dazzling array of items.

"It's an apology gift from His Highness the Prince of Yan."

Yuan Chaolu stroked the gilded box. When she first arrived in Luoyang, she had also acquired some clothes and accessories, but in terms of workmanship and materials, they paled in comparison to these exquisite items.

This was a treasure she had never received in her entire life.

Yuan Chaolu looked at Heyi: "What did the Prince of Yan say?"

He Yi said, "When I went there, the people from the second and third branches of the family were there, and the front hall was full of people. The second madam asked me to make sure you came over. It was the Prince of Yan who said that you don't need to go, he can come to see you himself."

Yuan Chaolu asked, "And then?"

“I was startled at the time. Fortunately, the Prince of Yan also felt something was wrong. He stopped as soon as he stepped out the door, and a large group of people followed behind him. I relayed your words to him, saying that you appreciate His Highness’s kindness, but since this matter is over, we dare not trouble His Highness again, and there is no need for you to make a special trip to visit us in the future.”

Yuan Chaolu asked, "How did he react?"

He Yi paused for a moment, then said, "His Highness the Prince of Yan was somewhat surprised. He spoke to me for a few more minutes, and only after learning that he truly could not see you did he give up and did not mention the marriage agreement again. He only said that he would come to visit you again after you recovered from your illness. These items will be sent to you by someone every month from now on."

Yuan Chaolu's lips curled up as he couldn't help but imagine the look of surprise on the face of the person he had met that afternoon, a face that always seemed calm and composed.

Yuan Chaolu's gaze fell on the box full of gems. "However, he is quite generous."

Heyi walked around to her and closed the box.

Yuan Chaolu raised her head and met He Yi's worried eyes.

“I know you don’t want the Prince of Yan to see your true face, but is such a decisive refusal too harsh? Do you really intend to sever all ties with the Prince of Yan? If the Prince of Yan…”

Yuan Chaolu smiled and said, "Not at all. A proud man like the Prince of Yan is always fawned over wherever he goes. How do you think he would feel if he were rejected by a woman he has never met before?"

He Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "He will think that you are extremely different, and that you truly mean to break off the engagement..."

Yuan Chaolu said, "We can't go against the Prince of Yan's wishes regarding the marriage; we must do as he wishes. But we also can't make him truly apologize. This ambiguous situation will keep him thinking about it from time to time, and then—"

Yuan Chaolu lightly twirled a gilded hairpin with her fingertips, its shimmering light reflecting off her eyes.

"Once I've disguised my identity and spent some time with him at Chanxu Temple, I'll subtly reveal some flaws so he can find out who I am... By then, the marriage will naturally fall into place."

She smiled and said, "Once today is over, the Prince of Yan will surely be even more attentive in searching for medicine for me."

He Yi suddenly realized: "With the Prince of Yan's status, he can probably find any medicine in the world for your sister. Let's hope he finds it soon."

Yuan Chaolu responded in a low voice.

only……

Today at Chanxu Temple, she had only spent a short time with the Prince of Yan, yet she had already begun to have second thoughts. If it weren't for her elder sister... and to resist the Helan family, she would never have chosen such a person as her husband.

"Morning Dew." A woman's voice suddenly rang out from outside, interrupting the conversation inside.

The woman's plump figure landed on the doorway, her voice carrying a soft laugh, "Good niece, it's your second aunt."

Yuan Chaolu glanced at He Yi.

He Yi said, "It's Madam Yuan the Second. I'll send her away for you."

Yuan Chaolu sat quietly inside, listening to the conversation outside. Madam Yuan the Second spoke with concern, first inquiring about her illness, then mentioning whether the things and clothes she had specially sent yesterday were to her liking. After asking so many questions, the ultimate purpose was still to intentionally or unintentionally steer the conversation toward the Prince of Yan, asking why she was unwilling to see him.

The Yuan family's sudden change in attitude, from arrogance to obsequiousness, was entirely due to the Prince of Yan.

Yuan Chaolu would certainly make good use of the power of the Prince of Yan.

Amidst the clamor of voices, she lowered her head and began to peruse the Buddhist scripture scroll on the table in front of her.

The Buddhist scripture was wet from the rain, and several pages in the middle became damp, causing the ink to smudge, but the original characters could still be vaguely discerned.

It seems there's no need to specially hire a craftsman to repair it; simply copying the Buddhist scriptures yourself will suffice.

However, he had promised to send the Prince of Yan a rare set of books, which would require a considerable amount of money to purchase.

Yuan Chaolu was somewhat troubled, as her funds were truly limited. She then looked at the treasure chest on the side, where the treasures and medicinal herbs given by the Prince of Yan could be used to offset some of the losses.

The purchase cost would then be borne by him.

Thinking this way, I finally felt less heartbroken.

He only met with the Prince of Yan under the pretext of studying Buddhist scriptures, and there were probably only a few meetings in total. Any more than that would be too deliberate...

How can we create an opportunity to meet with the Prince of Yan for an extended period of time?

Yuan Chaolu lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his shadow elongated by the candlelight.

**

The mountain path winds its way through the lush vegetation.

Yuan Chaolu climbed the mountain path along the Chanxu Temple.

After two days of torrential rain, the sky finally cleared up. However, the early summer sun was still scorching. Yuan Chaolu went up the mountain alone and felt that her skirt and robe were frozen to her body by the sun.

The higher you go up the mountain, the fewer people you see.

The day before yesterday, she had followed the figure of the Prince of Yan from afar and was able to enter the pavilion by chance. However, the layout of Chanxu Temple was too complicated, and it was backed by mountains, so she got lost when she walked into the mountains.

The sounds of wild beasts seemed to echo from the surrounding jungle, and she felt uneasy as if something was lurking deep within the dappled woods.

When they reached the pavilion halfway up the mountain, they found no one there.

Yuan Chaolu went inside to escape the summer heat, casually pulling off the curtain above his head to fan his already flushed face, his gaze sweeping over the official documents and scrolls on the table.

He should be nearby.

Soon after, Yuan Chaolu arrived at a Zen temple in the mountains.

This secluded place is nestled on the edge of a forest and mountains, overlooking a sea of ​​clouds. The bamboo houses are spotless and extremely clean.

However, it was too quiet to be considered as if anyone lived there.

She continued inside, but still didn't see a single person.

The chill that had sent shivers down her spine as she climbed the mountain returned, and she felt as if a cold wind was blowing behind her.

A pebble rolled to her feet, and at the same time, a fishy smell entered her nostrils.

Yuan Chaolu suddenly looked back—

A ferocious beast with mottled fur appeared out of nowhere and stood silently about ten feet behind her, its enormous form looming over the ground.

It's a leopard.

It crouched low, its muscular body resembling a small mountain, its dark, vertical pupils staring intently at her.

Yuan Chaolu's pupils contracted sharply, his blood seemed to freeze, and he stared at the golden leopard.

She was too close; there was a wall behind her, and there was no way she could escape.

Its amber pupils were locked three inches below her neck, right where her throat was located.

Yuan Chaolu immediately realized what was happening and reached for the whistle on her neck. Almost the instant she moved, the leopard leaped and pounced on her.

The meditation room was quiet and peaceful.

Earlier, the emperor had listened to Zen meditation and cultivated his mind here, discussing Buddhist teachings with Abbot Yinghui.

However, footsteps sounded in the courtyard. First, there were the familiar footsteps of Jin Ni, and then the chaotic footsteps of a strange intruder were mixed in.

Xiao Zhuo frowned slightly and slowly opened his eyes.

The moment the door opened, a golden leopard was seen lying on the ground in the courtyard, its sharp claws pressing down on a slender figure, with a light gauze curtain lying beside it.

"Golden Lion!" Xiao Zhuo called out.

The leopard, which had been poised to pounce, suddenly turned around.

The woman beside it had long, disheveled hair, and her hairpins and ornaments were scattered all over the ground. One of her pearl hairpins was broken in two.

The blood-soaked woman finally managed to crawl out from under the leopard's claws, staggered away, and ran towards where he was standing.

A strong stench of blood, mixed with a subtle fragrance, wafted through the air.

Before he could react, she had already pulled him into her arms.

Xiao Zhuo froze, the person in his arms trembling, bloodstains already soaking her neck.

She lifted her head against his chest, her long, thick, black hair cascading down to reveal her pale, exquisite face.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she silently uttered, "Young Master."

Xiao Zhuo avoided the burning gaze, glanced at the culprit in the courtyard, the golden leopard growled, and lowered its body as if admitting its mistake.

The person in his arms slid down, her hand still clutching his robes, refusing to let go. A slight tremor in her fingertips conveyed her strength. Just as she was about to hit the ground, Xiao Zhuo reached out and caught her.

Yuan Chaolu finally lay down in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his slightly stiff palm pressing against her bleeding neck, telling her not to move.

She reached out her arm and, without making a sound, tightened her embrace around his waist, her eyes brimming with tears and her heart pounding.

"Young master, save me! This monstrous beast is going to devour me..."

A note from the author:

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Prince Yan: I sent medicine to my fiancée, I paid for it, I even spent a fortune to send my elder brother a rare copy of the book, only to have it ruined by the rain. Now my fiancée has also fallen into my brother's arms. From beginning to end, I'm the only one who's hurt.