Chapter 137 The Unloved Princess 12

After knowing that there was more than one assassin, Nan Qiao thought that there would be more trouble in the hunting ground in the next few days, but unexpectedly, there was no assassination in the hunting ground until the end of the hunt.

The entire autumn hunt had only a few minor disturbances on the first day, and then everything went on in an orderly manner, as if the assassin who had appeared on the couch that night was just a dream in her.

October is approaching, the sky is clear and the air is fresh. The hunting is over and it is time to return to the imperial capital.

The old emperor has been in poor health recently and is completely unable to control his sons who are growing up and becoming more ambitious. The struggle for the throne of the previous dynasty has intensified, and even the originally peaceful harem has become a little more restless.

Several of the main ladies all have children. Although there is only one character difference between the title of Concubine Dowager and the title of Empress Dowager, the difference between them is huge.

Although they lived in the same palace, this restlessness did not spread to Cuiwei Palace.

The entire Cuiwei Palace seemed to be secretly isolated; even the prince who occasionally visited was nowhere to be seen.

Nan Qiao stayed in Cuiwei Palace as usual, never leaving the house. On the day she returned to the imperial capital, Lin Qinghuai sent someone to bring the white fox over. She spent her days reading and playing with the little white fox, and her life was quite pleasant.

Nan Qiao had gradually become familiar with the life in the palace. The peaceful days made her gradually let down her guard. It was not good for her health to stay in the palace all the time. Without people coming to visit her every now and then, she began to be willing to go out for a walk.

The royal brothers hadn't come to visit her these days, and she thought the brotherly love she had displayed in front of her father was over. However, she never imagined that she was just being careless.

In the pavilion by the Lotus Lake in the Imperial Garden, Nan Qiao looked at the people who were walking towards him with a slightly cold expression.

"Nan Qiao meets the Third Brother."

The third prince was dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe with a yellow belt around his waist. Even though his appearance was not outstanding, he exuded the nobility of the royal family.

"No need to be polite, Fourth Princess."

He smiled very warmly and leaned over slightly to give her some support. Nan Qiao remained expressionless and just turned her body to avoid his hand.

The Third Prince withdrew his hand, his gaze fixed on the lotus pond, where only withered lotus leaves and withered branches remained. He said, "These lotus flowers are all withered. Fourth Princess likes lotus flowers. I happen to have a water lily in my mansion, so I'd like to have it delivered to her."

Nan Qiao declined, "Every scene at every time is interesting. The water lily must be rare to be kept in the Third Emperor's house. I won't take away someone else's love."

The Third Prince laughed, "I have never been fond of flowers and plants. They were all presented to me by my subordinates. My sister is stained with Buddha's nature, so she is more suitable for that water lily than me."

Now that things had come to this, Nan Qiao couldn't refuse and could only thank him.

"What a coincidence! This water lily was given to me by Yizhi. Now I'm giving it to my younger sister, just like offering a flower to the Buddha."

The third prince turned to look at the man beside him and said with a smile.

Nan Qiao's gaze couldn't help but fall on the other person.

The man was wearing a blue brocade robe, a water-colored jade belt around his waist, his ink-black hair was tied up with a purple jade crown, his pair of phoenix eyes seemed to be smiling, and his thin lips were slightly curled.

She was truly elegant and noble, and she was very eye-catching standing next to the Third Prince.

Qin Yizhi took two steps forward, bowed, and said, "I am Qin Yizhi, the humblest man, and I greet Her Royal Highness the Princess."

The familiar voice with a hint of tenderness made Nan Qiao's pupils shrink slightly. She looked at the man in front of her, completely stunned.

This sound...

...It seems to be the assassin in the hunting ground.

Nan Qiao was in a state of confusion for a moment. After a long while, he finally said in a hoarse voice, "No need to be polite."

As if he hadn't noticed Nan Qiao's chaotic mood, Qin Yizhi smiled, his charming almond-shaped eyes sparkling with light.

The third prince did not notice the subtle atmosphere between the two. Now the fight for the throne has entered a tense state. It is the most critical moment. If he wants to gain the support of more court officials, money is indispensable.

The Qin family is a wealthy tycoon. If he has the support of the Qin family, it will be much easier for him to seize that position.

The Qin family is extremely wealthy, but money is not enough to move people's hearts. He is still worried about how to gain the Qin family's support, and he must use precious treasures to seek it.

And this precious treasure... can only be worthy of the Fourth Princess, who has just returned to the palace...

Thinking of this, the third prince laughed. He knew that the son-in-law his father favored for his cousin was the prince of Zhenbei Marquis.

But so what?

Young girls have beautiful feelings. Qin Yizhi from the Qin family is handsome, young and chaste. He has no wives, concubines or maids, and no official position. He is a good husband, isn't he?

If the emperor's sister really doesn't want to, that's fine. She can just win her over and make compensation after he ascends the throne by choosing a new consort.

The Third Prince pretended to glance at the sky and said, "It's still early, but I have to go pay my respects to Mother. Yizhi, will you come with me, or..."

Qin Yizhi: "I have long heard that the rare and exotic plants in the palace garden are unrivaled in the world, even comparable to the gardens in Suzhou and the Jiangnan area. Today, I have been granted the emperor's grace to enter the palace, and I naturally want to enjoy it carefully."

As expected of a businessman, he was very eloquent. The third prince nodded, turned around and walked towards the harem with his servants.

The two people who were left behind were in the pavilion. The palace servants were far away. Nan Qiao's expression turned cold, and her eyes fell on the leisurely man in front of her.

"Your Excellency is very brave."

As an assassin, he was so bold as to enter the palace so brazenly.

Qin Yizhi chuckled softly, but still looked puzzled: "Your Highness, what do you mean? I entered the palace today only because Your Majesty summoned me. How can I be so bold?"

Nan Qiao didn't want to pay any attention to him. She even lost the desire to wander around. Just as she was about to get up and return to Cuiwei Palace, she heard the man behind her say with resentment, "I gave away a hundred thousand taels of silver just to have this chance to enter the palace, just to see His Highness..."

Nan Qiao paused, frowning and looking at the other person: "What does this have to do with me?"

Qin Yizhi eagerly picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for His Highness opposite him before saying, "How could it be unrelated? When we first met at the hunting grounds, Your Highness was so elegant and extraordinary that I fell in love with Him at first sight."

Hearing such frivolous words again, Nan Qiao's hand holding the teacup tightened in vain, and her expression turned completely cold. She felt that the good temper she had cultivated in the temple for more than ten years could not be controlled at all in front of the man in front of her!

The ink-colored porcelain cup was warm and delicate, making the ten fingers look as slender as green onion roots, but it was slightly red because of the owner's in vain tightening.

The faint smile in Qin Yizhi's eyes gradually disappeared, and his deep eyes fell on him. He pulled the corners of his mouth and laughed softly: "Your Highness is angry, blame me, it's me who spoke rudely."

Nan Qiao remained silent, his face still cold.

Traveling all over the country doing business, Qin Yizhi was the most shameless. He said with a smile: "If Your Highness is still angry, why not call someone to beat me with a stick to calm me down."

The two of them were separated by a stone table, and as if relying on the fact that the palace servants outside the pavilion could not hear them, their words were coaxing, as if they were coaxing their lovers, which made people feel uncomfortable when they heard them.

Nan Qiao felt a surge of anxiety in her heart. The man in front of her seemed to have an unusual relationship with her third brother. She disliked this man and did not want to have anything to do with him.

Without hesitation, she stood up and wanted to walk out of the pavilion. It was already late autumn, and there was a breeze in the pavilion. The sound of the cool autumn wind still reached her ears.

"...Your Highness, are you afraid?"

It seemed like a casual remark, but it was like an arrow hitting the target, striking directly at the panic in Nan Qiao's heart, causing her whole body to completely freeze.

Are you scared?

Of course I'm afraid.

She has been afraid since she returned to the palace.

When she first returned to the palace, she was afraid of her father, whom she hadn't seen in over a decade. Now, she was afraid of her brothers who kept coming to visit her frequently...

The palace maids in Cuiwei Palace also loved to chat. She knew a little about what had happened in the former court in recent days. She actually didn't care who was sitting on that seat, she only cared about whether she could survive in this palace.

She had originally thought that the fight for the throne had nothing to do with a princess like her, but after several of her brothers came to visit her regularly, she realized with some horror that she seemed to have become a bargaining chip in their fight for the throne...

Perhaps when that prince ascends the throne, she will be arbitrarily married to someone who has done good deeds, just like Qin Yizhi in front of her...

A chill passed by, and Qin Yizhi looked at the completely stunned figure not far away. His eyes softened slightly, and he stood up and walked to the side of the stunned prince, staring at the other's jade-white profile with deep eyes.

Nan Qiao's hesitation was exposed at this moment. Her face turned pale, her watery eyes sparkled, and she was wearing a plain dress. After shedding her cold appearance, she looked pitiful.

His voice was low, and at this moment, his frivolous voice was filled with an indescribable calmness. "I hope Your Highness will not panic."

Don't panic?

Nan Qiao felt bitter on the tip of her tongue. How could she not panic? However, she still didn't want to show her weakness in front of this person, so her back remained straight.

It is both delicate and cold, just like a snow lotus growing on the top of the snow, cold all over but with delicate petals.

Qin Yizhi loved her so much that he couldn't help but move a few steps forward and grabbed the prince's wrist like a traitor. Before he could answer, he whispered tenderly, "Your Highness, please rest assured. There is no need to be afraid. I am here and I will never allow anyone to hurt you."

Qin Yizhi knew exactly what the princes were planning.

He was a shameless and hypocritical person. As a beneficiary of this idea, he entered the palace to meet Princess Lingqiao by taking advantage of the prince, but he could not bear to see others using the prince she loved so much as a bargaining chip to seize the throne.

Nan Qiao was furious as her wrist was restrained. She couldn't help but try to break free, but she couldn't. The palace servant was just outside the pavilion. She was about to shout for help when her wrist suddenly loosened. She lowered her eyes and saw that the frivolous playboy had let go of her hand with a smile on his face.

Qin Yizhi twisted his hands, lowered his eyes, and glanced at the prince's fair wrist. Seeing that there were some red marks on the skin there, annoyance flashed in his eyes.

In the end, he lost his strength.

"Sorry, Your Highness, it's me, the humble Meng Lang..."

Nan Qiao was extremely angry, her bright eyes sparkled and her cheeks flushed. She didn't want to stay here any longer. When she left, her cold back was filled with a rare anger.

Qin Yizhi smiled and watched His Highness leave.

The author has something to say:

Please prepay!!