Deliver a message

The weather gradually turned cooler, especially at dusk, when the remaining heat dissipated and the autumn breeze picked up. The autumn grass in the Imperial Garden had to be carefully tended, but only here was it lush and green.

A plump rabbit hopped into Liu Ju's sight. He put aside a handful of stones and approached it. Strangely, it was not afraid of people and fell obediently into Liu Ju's arms.

The furry touch and innocent eyes reminded him of the newborn rabbits and Suolian'er's smiling gaze.

"That's mine."

The woman came over. She was wearing a smoky pink silk dress and her black hair was like clouds. This time she was not wearing a veil. Against the backdrop of the flowers, her face looked a little pale.

He took the rabbit back into her hands and prepared to leave.

"Why did the prince leave after seeing me? If you don't like me, I will leave so as not to disturb His Highness's pleasure."

She saw a pile of flat stones lined up beside the imperial pond where he had just sat. Liu Ju caught her gaze and explained, "I still have homework to review, so I'll be leaving now."

"Your Highness." She stopped him and said directly, "Please, Your Highness, deliver a message to the general for me."

Liu Ju was a little surprised. "What are you going to say?"

"Please take me home, General, or I will die soon."

Seeing the woman's melancholy expression, Liu Ju couldn't help but doubt his previous assumptions. His mother had said she had deliberately seduced his father, which was why she entered the palace. He could still vividly remember how she had flaunted her power over him and his mother that day in Shanglin Garden. But now she said she wanted to return to the Huo family, as if all her previous actions had been done unwillingly and under duress.

"Why do you want to go back? Isn't it good to be my father's favorite concubine here?"

The other party's words were full of sarcasm. Gillian smiled bitterly, her eyes reddening. "Although I come from a humble background, I am from an ordinary family with enough food and clothing. I only hope to live with my husband as an equal until old age. I didn't want to encounter this. I want to commit suicide, but I am afraid of implicating my family. I want to obey, but I feel sorry for the general. His Majesty forced me to be his concubine, saying that if I don't obey, he will punish the general and kill my entire family..."

As she spoke, crystal tears overflowed from her beautiful eyes, and fell one by one on the grass leaves, rolling and glistening, as delicate and timid as a tear.

Liu Ju's heart softened, but he remained silent. Even so, he couldn't tell his cousin. Less trouble is better than more. He couldn't compete with his father, so he might as well grieve for a while, thinking that his cousin's wife was dead and the matter would be over. This was also the unanimous opinion of his mother, uncle, and everyone else.

"Your Highness doesn't want to help me?" Seeing his silence, she looked a little questioning, as if she was very disappointed.

"Indeed, you're all afraid I'll implicate the General. I also know that doing so will bring him trouble. I've endured it again and again, but every time I think of him, my heart aches like a knife, the pain is unbearable... Your Highness, I know you want to persuade me to stay here and be an obedient bird, wearing the colorful golden feathers bestowed by Your Majesty, adorned with jewels and obsidian stones, and served by a group of servants. Why would you invite hardship upon yourself?"

Her sad eyes fixed on him, "But it's not like that for me. No matter how glamorous it may seem to others, the feeling of oppression and humiliation is only known to me."

"Your Highness, no matter how precious a jade is, if it is not what I desire, it is nothing but a piece of stone to me. I only want to be with the one I love, to live a simple life that I can see the end of. That is the best. A golden house and beautiful jade are nothing but cages and shackles. My heart cannot rise high, and I am bound by so many constraints. What is the point of living?"

Her eyelashes drooped slightly, covering her sparkling eyes. Tears streamed down her nose and gathered on her chin. The corners of her eyes were red, just like the rabbit in her arms. He didn't know whether it was shame or something else, but he lowered his head and clenched his palms.

Seeing this, she laughed mockingly, "Your Highness still doesn't believe what I said. Well, who would understand what I said?"

"I understand." His voice was low. "I understand how you feel. In fact, my cousin also refuses to accept your death. He said he wanted to come to the palace to ask for clarification, but everyone tried to stop him. Because of this, my uncle was so angry that his old illness relapsed and he fell ill at home. My cousin is currently tending to him."

"Since Your Highness understands the General and I's thoughts, please help me!"

She excitedly held his arm, and the warmth came through the clothes. His slightly cold body trembled and he avoided her burning gaze.

She smiled sadly, "I know there's no one in this world who doesn't fear Your Majesty's power. The Queen refused to make the decision for me, and the General had no choice but to submit. Even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had to grovel and submit before Your Majesty. Yes, by sacrificing me, we can save both families, and everyone will be happy. I'll just have to endure it. It's not like I'm going to die, so why shouldn't I endure it?"

She laughed softly, then suddenly lifted up her skirt and rushed towards the pool behind him. Liu Ju was startled and quickly grabbed her, but he could not withstand her strength and was dragged under with a dive.

The cold pool water instantly rushed into the noses of the two men. Liu Ju could swim, but he couldn't stand the person in front of him who kept floundering and sinking. He simply let go of her hand. After a while, when she stopped moving, he put her arm on his shoulder and swam her to the other side.

The water quickly soaked her clothes, clinging to her body and revealing her beautiful curves. Her face was calm, her brows slightly furrowed, and a layer of fine water droplets floated on her fair face, reflecting the silver glow of the sky in the twilight.

He thought of the warmth of her hand when she held his at the Huo Mansion, and the faint fragrance on her body. His palm suddenly became hot, as if it was burning with fire.

He stood up, turned around to look for someone, then stopped. No, if the Queen Mother knew about this, she would punish him, and the Emperor would reprimand him...

But……

He glanced at the person on the ground, gritted his teeth, and squatted in front of her. He put his palms together, placed them on her chest, and pressed hard. After several times, she finally vomited the accumulated water. But she quickly fell unconscious again.

"Cousin's wife?"

He lifted her up and wanted to pull her into the surrounding palace, but he was too thin to carry her, and her soft body fell on his shoulder.

He took a deep breath, laid her flat, closed his eyes, and let the breath of his body flow in. Without him noticing, her fingers moved. He observed her face for a moment, and it seemed that her complexion had recovered a little.

He frowned. His breath had returned, so why hadn't she woken up yet? He leaned forward again, and as soon as he felt the coldness, a pair of bright eyes suddenly opened and met his gaze.

His heart began to beat violently, and his whole body became as stiff as a shrimp, hunching over and immediately jumping back.

"You...you should return to the palace quickly. I will help you pass the news to your cousin."

He turned around and walked quickly towards the stone path, then paused again, "Don't think about it anymore."

When Liu Ju returned to the palace, Tong Guan, the eunuch who always served him, exclaimed, "Your Highness, how come you are all wet? You have walked such a long way. You should ask him to change clothes in a side hall first."

"And your... face..."

Liu Ju reached out and wiped it, his fingertips were marked with red, and he felt a burning sensation. He wiped it on the handkerchief several times and threw it aside.

Tong Guan followed Liu Ju closely, walked behind the screen and undressed him. "Oh, it looks like it was just fished out of the water. Qingyang, bring some hot water and give Your Highness a bath."

Liu Ju soaked in the warm water, closed his eyes, and felt an itch on his lips. He was startled when he noticed this strange feeling and buried his head in the pool water.

The gentle water tightly wrapped around every inch of his skin, leaving no gaps, yet made him feel relaxed, soft, and safe. The humming sound in his ears blocked out everything outside, as if he had entered another world, a mirror in the water.

He closed his eyes, and a graceful shadow slowly appeared in his mind.

He suddenly stuck his head out and breathed deeply.

Tong Guan sorted out his soaked clothes and found a sachet. "Your Highness, this sachet is wet. Did you replace the contents or throw them away?"

The sachet he presented was embroidered with a blue butterfly resting on orchid grass.

"Leave it there."

Tong Guan nodded. He had been feeling down recently because of the palace maid incident, so he didn't ask any more questions. To cheer him up, he took a few more portraits and spread them out on the screen one by one.

"These are the girls the Queen has sent to be chosen as Crown Princesses. Please take your pick and see who suits your taste best."

He lay back beside the tub and waved his hands, "Whatever, the Queen Mother has already made her decision, so what's the point of watching it or not?"

Tong Guan smiled and said, "Let's see. His Majesty has ordered that you choose for yourself. Besides, it's not just the Crown Princess, Consorts, and Imperial Concubines. If you have time, you can choose them all."

He turned his head and glanced at the portraits, his gaze lingering slightly on the very side.

Tong Guan looked at the portrait and saw a thin woman with slightly raised eyes, soft eyebrows, and a mole on the tip of her nose.

"This is the daughter of Minister Rong. She is sixteen years old, gentle and well-educated."

"Let's choose her. She will be the Crown Princess."