Chapter 46

After finishing her shift at the Princess Palace, Yuexi returned to the Palace Maids' Palace. The other palace maids seemed to be discussing something with great interest, but Yuexi didn't care and just kept doing her own thing. She hadn't seen Sun Zhong for several days since she last parted with him, and she felt a little lost in her heart. She knew that this was wrong, but she just couldn't control herself.

At this time, a palace maid came over and spoke to Yuexi: "Yuexi, did you know that there is a performance in the small side hall tonight?"

Yue Xi asked doubtfully, "Performance?"

The maid patiently explained to Yuexi, "The maids who aren't on duty are watching the shadow play in the small side hall. It's really interesting. Do you want to come and watch it with us?"

Yuexi didn't want to come at first, but couldn't resist the palace maid's enthusiasm, so she had to follow her.

The performance was held in the courtyard of a small side hall. Many people came, but most of them were palace maids and eunuchs who served nobles in various palaces. The little palace maid pulled Yuexi to find an empty seat, sat on the ground, and watched the shadow play in front of them.

Little did she know that as soon as Yuexi came here, Luo Sanrong immediately noticed her and began to wink at Sun Zhong behind the shadow play, indicating that he should tell the story of him and Yuexi, of course, using a pseudonym.

The person who spoke at the beginning was the narrator, played by Xiaopang, who was asked by Luo Sanrong to speak in a very strict manner according to the script given by Luo Sanrong.

"In Xia'an Country, there was a beautiful woman named Taohua. She came from a poor family and had no choice but to enter the palace and become a maid."

Next up was Taohua, voiced by Xiao Gao. Xiao Gao said in a high voice, "I, Taohua, hate frivolous men the most. My family is poor and I have no choice but to become a palace maid. But I want to be the king's woman in the future."

"However, a eunuch named Wang has been following her," said the narrator.

"One day, Taohua stopped Wang, the eunuch who was secretly following her, and asked him, 'Why are you following me?'"

Wang the eunuch replied hesitantly, "It's because I admire Miss Taohua!"

Taohua snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "Do you think I came to the palace to socialize with the eunuchs?"

Eunuch Wang didn't say anything and continued to accompany her as usual.

As time went by, Jiang Taohua got used to Wang Nei Shi's company and began to trust him more and more...

Later, Taohua was finally going to marry the king, but Taohua's heart was still with the eunuch, so she went to find the eunuch.

"Alas, don't you obey me in everything?"

"Why don't you dare to admit to others that I am your woman?"

"Why don't you speak?" Taohua asked Wang Nei Shi in a series of questions.

Eunuch Wang stammered, "Is that something you can say?"

Taohua turned and tried to leave, but Wang Nei Shi stepped forward and grabbed Taohua, saying, "Palace maids and eunuchs? This is a taboo in the palace! You can live without me, and it's already great that you can see me! I'm destined to die of old age in the palace."

At this time, Yue Xi had already realized that this was the story of her and Sun Zhong. She didn't care about the eyes of the people around her, and stood up and turned to leave.

Wang Nei Shi, voiced by Sun Zhong, shouted out his feelings through the shadow puppet: "Go away, go away, staying with me is a dead end!"

"But, I just want to say one last thing. I want to say it loudly in front of everyone: 'I admire you. I really, really admire you!' Do you hear me?"

Hearing this, Yuexi stopped, held back her tears, and listened to Sun Zhong's "confession".

"To His Highness, you are just one of hundreds of palace maids, but to me, you are my whole world!"

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince looked at the scene in front of him, did not step forward to interrupt them, and left quietly. Luo Sanrong only saw Li Yin's back as he left.

The atmosphere was tense, and everyone was deeply moved by Taohua and Wang Nei Shi's story. Then, Zhang Nei Guan, who was beside the queen, rushed in with a group of people and shouted, "What are you doing? What time is it now?"

All the eunuchs and palace maids knelt on the ground in fear. Although there was no order in the palace to prohibit such activities, if the nobles punished them, everyone would be in trouble.

Zhang Neiguan asked again: "Who is the leader? Come out!"

Some of the timid palace maids began to look at Luo Sanrong unconsciously, and then someone whispered "Luo Sanrong". Just like that, Luo Sanrong was brought into the queen's palace.

There were only three glazed palace lanterns lit in the hall. The warm yellow light flowed through the ice cracks, barely illuminating the soft couch covered with white fox fur in front of Ji Zelan.

The agarwood incense burned quietly in the silver burner, and the smoke rose straight up, but it seemed to be held by an invisible barrier half an inch to her side, and refused to disperse.

Ji Zelan leaned against a rosewood pillow, the hem of her crimson-purple phoenix robe spread out, the embroidered lotus pattern faintly visible in the dim light.

Her right hand rested on her seven-month-old belly, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the brocade. The raised curve was like a small hill, rising and falling slightly with her steady breathing.

".....Your Majesty, at three quarters past ten in the evening, I saw..." Eunuch Zhang said in a chilling voice.

Ji Zelan then slowly raised her eyes, her gaze passing over Zhang Neiguan's hunched back and falling on the huddled figure at the bottom of the stairs.

Luo Sanrong was kneeling there, his back bent deeply and his head almost touching the ground.

Ji Zelan put the teacup on the table with a bang. Luo Sanrong's heart trembled. Ji Zelan looked at Luo Sanrong who was kneeling below with a half-smile, and asked the maid Yunyue with his eyes. Yunyue nodded.

Unexpectedly, Ji Zelan didn't say anything to her, but just kept asking her to kneel. However, Luo Sanrong soon knew what her intention was.

"What's the matter that brings you to this palace so late at night? Your mother called you before but you ignored her?" Ji Zelan said nonchalantly to Li Yin who was rushing over.

"I came here because I swallowed the bait thrown by the Queen." Li Yin said in a cold voice.

Ji Zelan walked down from the main seat and stood in front of Luo Sanrong, his eyes wandering between Li Yin and Luo Sanrong with interest.

Li Yin didn't try to be polite with Ji Zeming. He came straight to the point and said to her, "Since you have finally met me, I will take that person away."

Ji Zelan didn't say yes or no until Li Yin gestured to the tail knife behind him to help Luo Sanzhen up. Ji Zelan said, "That won't do. A mere eunuch is not doing his duty. Don't you know that the palace maids are His Highness's women?"

After she finished speaking, she lifted Luo Sanrong's chin and slapped her on the face. Luo Sanrong's face soon became red and swollen, but Li Yin just looked at her indifferently without any reaction.

Then, Li Yin approached Ji Zelan and whispered, "What's the big deal about the palace maids and eunuchs? It's not the only ironic thing."

Ji Zelan stared at Li Yin, as if curious about what ironic thing he would say.

"Even His Majesty is being talked about as a fool and a puppet who fell under the Queen's skirt. So, do you want to arrest everyone?"

Ji Zelan was successfully angered by Li Yin's words. The maid Yunyue beside her hurried forward and whispered advice. Ji Zelan stared at Li Yin fiercely and was so angry that she couldn't say anything.

Li Yin remained unmoved. He simply looked at Luo Sanrong and ordered her, who was trying hard to hold back her tears, "Get up!"

Luo Sanrong looked at the two people who were on the verge of a fight, not knowing whose orders to obey. It seemed that no matter whose orders he obeyed, he would offend the other party. Luo Sanrong hesitated whether to stand up. In the end, Luo Sanrong confessed his guilt to the queen, "I deserve to die, your majesty."

This reaction successfully angered Li Yin, who was already suppressing his anger. Li Yin said in a firm voice: "I'm calling you to get up."

It was obvious that Luo Sanrong's actions just now had successfully pleased Ji Zelan. Ji Zelan walked back to the upper seat, fiddling with the nails on her hands, and said to Li Yin: "Your Majesty can't sleep every day because of the thugs. Isn't Your Highness worried that the scandal will affect His Majesty's health?"

Li Yin said to Ji Zelan with a warning in his eyes: "Let's stop here! It was just a eunuch who made a mistake without knowing it."

Ji Zelan didn't say anything.

Li Yin said to Luo Sanrong behind him, "Let's go!" Then he took his people out of the queen's palace.

Only after seeing Li Yin walk away did Eunuch Zhang cautiously approach and say to the queen, "Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Ji Zelan was still staring at Li Yin's back, even though he had already disappeared at the end of the corridor. There was an indescribable emotion in her voice, "That's not the look one gives an eunuch. That's the look one gives a lover, a man."