Chapter 45 World 2 (Twenty-one)

Yuwen Xuan had to bring the Changming Sword with him to the palace banquet this time. His Majesty's beloved son had heard numerous rumors about the Changming Sword and, curious about it, had taken advantage of this birthday banquet to see the sword in its true form. Baoshan, the maidservant who had been assigned to care for the Changming Sword, also had to come along.

Outside the palace, Miss Deng boarded the carriage specially dispatched by the Empress. She drew aside the curtains to reveal the guards already carrying the Changming Sword aboard. Baoshan, supported by the guards, carefully placed her precious fan on the footrest. Miss Deng's gaze shifted to Yuwen Xuan, seated upright on his steed. A slight sense of relief washed over her as she released the curtains: Yuwen Xuan wasn't riding in the same carriage with her, but he wasn't accompanying anyone else either.

The soft hand on his arm slowly withdrew, Yunqi looked up at the treasure fan, and stretched out his hand to lift the pearl curtain for the fan.

Baoshan said softly, "Thank you."

Yunqi paused slightly, adjusting the tangled bead curtain with his hands, and warned in a voice only the two of them could hear, "If there's anything you can't decide, your Highness's wishes come first."

Yunqi had already lowered the bead curtain and was about to withdraw his hands when Baoshan's feathery eyelashes trembled slightly and he lowered his eyes and said, "I know."

The groom whipped the horse and it moved forward slowly. Yunqi looked at the gradually blurred figure and clenched his fists slightly.

During this visit to the palace, when the butler was selecting the candidates to accompany him to the banquet, Yunqi lost his composure for the first time and took the initiative to recommend himself to the butler. Yunqi clearly noticed that the butler's eyes fell on him.

But when he took the initiative to speak, the butler chose someone else.

Yunqi withdrew his gaze and turned around to find that the butler was standing outside the mansion gate with a deep look in his eyes.

"Yunqi, your heart is not at peace."

Yunqi saw his own uneasy expression reflected in the housekeeper's eyes and silently accepted the judgment.

How can he be calm?

The birthday banquet for the emperor and the queen's only son was naturally decorated with lights and was extremely luxurious.

Under every eave of the palace, colored glaze lanterns were hung. It was dusk, and the lights were lit, shining a brilliant rainbow of light through the crystal glass, illuminating every corner.

Baoshan attended the banquet in the name of Shijian, but he did not have to hold the sword himself. The Changming Sword was carried by several guards, and Baoshan only had to follow behind them.

Yuwen Xuan left first. Although Miss Deng was invited by the Queen, the Queen might not be free to summon her on such an important day. So she followed Baoshan and the guards to the banquet.

Unlike Baoshan who lowered her head obediently and stared at her toes, Miss Deng looked around curiously.

Although she came from the palace, she had never seen such a grand banquet.

Miss Deng was looking curiously at a colored glass lantern. The glass was as thin as a cicada's wing, and a candle was placed inside, emitting a hazy glow.

Suddenly, a person who looked like a palace maid, holding a bundle in her arms, looked back in panic, as if someone was chasing her. She tripped over something under her feet. However, she ignored the scars on her legs and anxiously checked the bundle in her arms.

The bundle might be safe. The palace maid's tense face relaxed and she looked up to see Baoshan and Miss Deng. A look of joy appeared on her face. She staggered to the two of them and knelt heavily on the ground with a "thump".

"Sir, help me!"

When the palace maid rushed forward, the guard had already protected the fan behind his back and placed his right hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

When she got closer, Baoshan realized that what the palace maid was holding in her arms was not a bundle, but a baby.

The baby in her arms was awakened by the palace maid's cry for help and began to sob.

People who live in the palace are most familiar with the ways of the world, and this palace maid is no exception.

When she saw that the precious fan was being well protected by the guards, she was sure that the fan was of extraordinary identity. She cried for help but her eyes were fixed on the fan.

The guards in the palace had uniform embroidery patterns on their clothes. When the palace maid recognized them, she was surprised and delighted. It turned out to be someone from Yuwen Xuan's mansion!

Seeing Baoshan's timid eyes and soft-hearted appearance, the palace maid felt more confident: a soft-hearted person would be more likely to be moved by pitiful people.

Her voice was shrill and pitiful: "I don't ask you to save my worthless life, I just ask you to save the life of this poor child!"

The baby in her arms seemed to be aware of something and cried even louder.

The palace guards were afraid that Bao Shan would be soft-hearted, so they whispered a reminder: "Don't meddle in other people's business. There are people who will make the decisions in the palace."

Bao Shan seemed frightened, her face pale. She grabbed the arm of the guard closest to her and said, "I want to go find the prince."

The guards knew that Bao Shan was timid. Seeing her like this, they thought that she must be disturbed by the sudden scandal in the palace, so they stepped forward and blocked the maid's sight.

The palace maid was still crying. She moved her palm slightly, put two fingers together, and gently twisted it. The baby in her arms cried even more pitifully.

Miss Deng couldn't bear it and asked, "Hurry up and comfort the child. He's crying so pitifully!"

The maid was disappointed when Baoshan didn't ask any questions. But since Miss Deng asked, she must have been moved. So she turned to Miss Deng and asked for help.

The baby in her arms was only a hundred days old when the nobleman disliked her and wanted to kill him.

The palace maid and the baby were locked in a simple house. She knew in her heart that after the birthday banquet, both of them would die, so she tried her best.

He sneaked out while the palace was busy and bustling.

When Baoshan heard the palace maid's words, she felt that she was being too secretive.

He did not mention any important matters, such as which noble he had offended, how he had offended him, or where this baby, less than a hundred days old, had appeared from in such a huge palace.

The palace maid ignored all this and only talked about how pitiful she and the baby in her arms were. She was not greedy for being saved, but only hoped to save the baby.

Bao Shan felt that this palace maid was asking for help, and her life was at stake, but she was trying to cover it up, which showed that her heart was not sincere and she was not worth saving.

But Baoshan naturally couldn't act indifferent, as that would only make everyone think she was cold and heartless.

Her face wavered, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she looked at the guard beside her.

The guards were used to this kind of thing and saw through the palace maid's little tricks.

But Baoshan was a kindhearted weak woman, so it was inevitable that she would be deceived. The guard shook his head gently: "Don't worry about it, don't cause trouble for the prince."

Upon hearing this, Baoshan was indeed in a dilemma.

There are differences in closeness to someone, so she naturally has to think more about Yuwen Xuan when she speaks and acts.

Upon hearing what the palace maid said, Miss Deng's chest was instantly filled with anger. Ignoring the guard's cold reminder, she reached out and helped the palace maid up from the ground.

The palace maid's palms felt weak, and the baby in her arms naturally fell into Miss Deng's hands.

The baby stopped crying and looked at Miss Deng with his round eyes.

The palace maid raised her lips and said, "This child is destined to be with you."

Miss Deng felt the softness of the child in her arms, and her determination to save the child became even stronger.

She came from the palace and was invited by the queen. She was just a little palace maid and a child, so she could definitely be rescued.

"Don't worry, you and your child will be safe."

"Thank you very much!"

Listening to the palace maid's thanks, Miss Deng raised her head and looked at Bao Shan who was cowering timidly behind the guards of the palace. She felt even more ashamed in her heart: with such a weak character, she would probably be laughed at at the banquet.

Baoshan noticed Miss Deng's gaze, raised her clear eyes and looked back indifferently.

At this time, the people who were chasing the palace maids also arrived one after another. They were dressed in uniform and wore long swords on their waists. It was obvious at a glance that they were guards in the palace.

The palace maid huddled behind Miss Deng, who comforted her with her eyes.

Miss Deng turned and said to the guards: "I was invited by the Queen to attend the little prince's birthday banquet.

Today is a happy occasion, and this maid hasn't done anything wrong, so why force her?"

The guards looked at each other in bewilderment. What Miss Deng said about being invited by the Queen must be true. After all, who would tell such a lie that would be exposed at the slightest provocation?

But since Miss Deng was invited by the Queen, it was obvious that they had a close relationship. How could she protect the palace maid and the baby?

The leading guard stepped forward and said, "It's not appropriate to get angry on a happy occasion. Let's take this maid back and give everyone some peace."

As the guards spoke, they were about to attack. Miss Deng didn't know why they were so unreasonable, unwilling to even let go of a little palace maid, and her words were inevitably a little cold and hard.

"Today, this maid and the baby will follow me out of the palace. If you refuse, I will go to the Empress and ask for this..."

Before he finished speaking, a voice rang out from behind him, as if it had been quenched with ice: "What do you want?"

The queen was dressed in gorgeous clothes, covered with pearls and jade, and her eyes were full of coldness.

Seeing this, the palace maid hiding behind Miss Deng quickly knelt on the ground, her heart in a panic.

Baoshan followed the guards of the palace and performed the usual greetings.

Baoshan saw that the Queen's eyes were cold and she was staring at the baby in Miss Deng's arms. Her eyes were full of disgust and aversion, and her speculation in her heart became more certain.

The maidservant beside the queen raised her voice and said, "Why don't you take action and let such a filthy person disrupt the little prince's birthday banquet?"

The guards didn't hesitate any longer and captured the maid. As for the baby...

The Queen looked at Miss Deng lightly and said, "What do you think? Are you going to take His Majesty's child out of the palace?"

Everyone's eyes were filled with surprise and suspicion. The baby in Miss Deng's arms also became a hot potato. In the end, the guards took the baby out and put it back into the hands of the palace maid.

Miss Deng's face flushed red. She only listened to the palace maid's story and angered the nobleman. She thought it was a eunuch or palace maid in the palace, but she never thought that the nobleman was actually the queen.

The palace was full of conspiracies and intrigues, and she was easily deceived by the maid. She never expected that the child was born by the maid after she was favored by the emperor and concealed from everyone.

Miss Deng stared at Baoshan and saw that the surprise on her face did not seem fake, so she felt relieved: Baoshan was so lucky that she was spared from being deceived because of her timid nature.

"My Lady, I don't know..."

"That's all."

The queen spoke in a cold voice, not wanting to mention these troublesome matters anymore.

If she didn't still want to use Miss Deng, she would have been punished for what happened today.

After capturing the restless palace maid and the evil creature, the queen was about to leave when she saw a graceful figure behind the palace guards.

"Who are you?"

Bao Shan said softly, "I am the swordsman in the prince's mansion. I came here with the Changming Sword."

When the queen heard her voice, her brows furrowed even more, and she saw her graceful figure and timid face.

Even though the sound of the precious fan was trembling, it did not affect the appreciation of the beauty at all. Instead, it made people love her even more.

Although Baoshan is a maid in Yuwen Xuan's mansion, His Majesty can't help but have some concerns.

But the Queen remembered the troubles of the past few days and said to the maid beside her, "Please arrange a quiet and elegant seat."

The maid understood the queen's meaning and responded.

The queen led a group of people and left in a grand manner. Miss Deng was also taken away by the queen in the name of "reminiscing about the past."