Chapter 40: Why are you running to the secret passage, the future queen?
As the year draws to a close, the streets of Kyoto are bustling with people.
The cool breeze blew in gusts.
Jiang Yueying was wearing a cloak with a snow-white rabbit fur hood on her head, revealing her small face the size of a palm, with black and bright pupils and two clusters of red clouds on her cheeks. She walked slowly.
Walking on the street, you can hear a lot of gossip among the people.
A woman chopping pork on the roadside chatted with the people next to her: "Did you hear about this? A while ago, a huge rock washed up in the South China Sea, and there's something engraved on it."
"The South Sea... the South Sea where the Bodhisattva resides?" the old man selling baskets was curious. "I heard that the South Sea gave a prophecy before the late emperor ascended the throne. Could it be the same this time?"
The old woman chopped on the chopping board with a crackling sound. "Yes, yes. I heard there are only four words on this huge stone: success and fame."
"What does it mean? Is Beiliang going to produce another great general who will make great achievements?" The uncle was puzzled.
The old lady rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't just look at the meaning of the word. Look carefully at these four characters."
"Wow! I get it!"
"Hush, we ordinary people are not allowed to say anything."
Jiang Yueying heard it clearly, and her brows and eyes showed a serious look.
Pu Ling, who was standing behind him, was completely bewildered and couldn't help but wonder, "Master, why don't I understand? What does 'achievement and fame' mean?"
Ever since she rescued Pu Ling in Mingquan Temple last time, this little girl has become less and less afraid of Jiang Yueying. She used to be trembling with fear when she saw her, but now she dares to talk to her actively and is not afraid of being punished at all.
I don’t know whether it is a good thing or a bad thing.
Qing Ge glanced at Pu Ling unhappily and said, "Stop asking so many questions."
Pu Ling looked at Jiang Yueying pitifully.
Jiang Yueying sighed and prompted: "Think about which prince has this character in his name."
After a long silence, Pu Ling suddenly widened his eyes and finally reacted.
Sui, could it be referring to the third prince Xie Yusui?
After being surprised, Pu Ling suddenly clenched his fists and said to her seriously: "Master, please don't believe such nonsense. I believe that fools have their own luck. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince must be very blessed. No one else can replace him."
Jiang Yueying: "..."
Someone was so bold as to say in the street that the prince was stupid. Who is the stupidest one?
"You must be very lucky." She said to Pu Ling.
Pu Ling smiled happily, as if she had been praised.
The three of them walked towards Huanbo Tower, not because they wanted to drink again, but because Jiang Yueying was thinking about the storyteller inside and couldn't help but want to listen to him again.
Along the way, many people were talking about the huge rock in the South China Sea. Although no one dared to say it openly, they were all guessing at God's will in their words and believed that this was a sign from God.
Jiang Yueying recalled the appearance of the third prince Xie Yusui. He was cold and damp, with a look of depression between his brows. He seemed to have a bad temper and did not look like an emperor at all.
It's far worse than Xie Yuting.
Although Xie Yuting was not ambitious, was a playboy, a playboy, and had no knowledge or skills, he was handsome, had a nice smile, and had an outstanding appearance that was befitting of an emperor.
Jiang Yueying raised her head and quickened her pace, too lazy to listen to any more false rumors.
As soon as I arrived at Huanbo Tower, before I even stepped into the door, I heard a commotion in the distance. The people around were running forward in a swarm, shouting something like "get out to the streets, get out to the streets."
If you don’t know, you might think they are snatching free white radishes.
Who would go out and make such a big scene?
She was a little curious, but Pu Ling had already grabbed a man and asked him what happened.
The man hurriedly explained, "Mrs. Mengxiang, the top performer at Chunfeng Tower, is riding in a parade. The last time she rode in a parade was two years ago. We have to go and see her!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yueying suddenly realized that Chunfeng Tower was a famous brothel in Kyoto, and the top performer there must be extremely beautiful, so it was understandable that it caused a sensation.
Speaking of which, Chunfeng Tower should be quite famous in Kyoto. I wonder if Xie Yuting has ever been there.
She hesitated for a moment and pretended to casually ask, "By the way, where does Xie Yuting usually go for fun?"
Qing Ge had already found out everything and reported, "I heard that he used to love going to Chunfeng Tower and would almost always ask for Lady Mengxiang."
Jiang Yueying's face darkened instantly.
What do you mean by "he orders it every time"? I never knew Xie Yuting was such a sentimental person, only having a special affection for one person...
"Let's go and take a look."
Jiang Yueying puffed up her cheeks, picked up the little wolf at her feet, and rushed into the crowd with it in her arms.
She wanted to see what kind of woman Xie Yuting liked.
Qingge had no choice but to follow and help her push through the crowded crowd.
Fragrant petals fluttered down, and on the embroidered flower carriage, there was a graceful woman with her face covered by a veil, wearing a green jade skirt, a light pink shawl draped over her arms, sitting dignifiedly in the center.
Even in the cold winter, she still wore very thin clothes.
Jiang Yueying was first shocked by the woman's indifferent temperament, and then subconsciously frowned, wondering if she was not cold?
She was shivering even wrapped in a cloak, and the other person was wearing a thin skirt and didn't even have a coat.
She stared at the person for a while, and suddenly a gust of wind blew, and the veil on Madam Meng Xiang's face was blown away, floating towards the vast crowd, causing a group of people to scramble for it frantically.
Jiang Yueying stood there and saw the woman's face clearly. It was undoubtedly a very beautiful face, with thin and curved eyebrows, like a crescent moon in the sky, red lips and white teeth, and she was still very touching even without smiling.
Madam Meng Xiang remained calm, just glancing at the bustling crowd around her, like a flower bud silently blooming in a rainstorm.
Inadvertently, Madam Meng Xiang's gaze passed over the noise and met Jiang Yueying's straightforward gaze.
The woman was slightly startled, her red lips curved into a sweet smile.
The people below are even more fanatical.
"Mrs. Mengxiang is smiling! How rare to see!"
“He must be smiling at me, hahahahahaha!”
"Bullshit, why don't you take a piss and look at yourself."
"It was worth going out today! You know, Madam Mengxiang has always been aloof from people. Maybe the sun has risen from the west today, but she actually smiled so beautifully for the first time in her life!"
No matter how everyone cheered, only Jiang Yueying blinked in confusion. Was she smiling at herself?
Could it be that she also felt that the beauty was smiling at her, just like those self-indulgent men?
No, she was just staring at her and smiling.
But she had never seen Madam Meng Xiang before...
More and more people gathered, and Qing Ge was afraid of getting lost in the crowd, so he quickly pulled Jiang Yueying out.
On the way back to the East Palace, Madam Meng Xiang's hibiscus face lingered in my mind. She had a calm temperament that was out of tune with the huge crowds of floats around her.
She doesn't look like a prostitute in a romantic place, but more like a fairy who has strayed into the mortal world.
It is normal for such a woman to be sought after.
Even she liked it when she saw it.
Jiang Yueying wondered to herself, could it be that Xie Yuting also liked her?
And the carrier pigeon Xie Yuting received, that letter couldn't have been sent by Madam Meng Xiang as well...
Ever since Xie Yuting received the letter, he suddenly became suspicious, always going into the study, and no one knew what he was doing in there.
It can't be that he suddenly became so motivated.
Or are you replying to people secretly?
She pursed her lips, her heart grumbling with sourness.
Madam Meng Xiang is not only beautiful, but also calm and peaceful. She probably wouldn't yell at anyone. In contrast, she always acts aggressively towards Xie Yuting, without any gentleness at all. If she were Xie Yuting, she would definitely not choose a fierce princess consort.
No, why should she care who Xie Yuting likes? What does who he likes have to do with her?
Shouldn't she be relieved that he's out having fun? It'll save her from having to stick to her all day and potentially expose her flaws.
But why did she feel inexplicably unhappy when she thought of this... She touched her chest, feeling depressed.
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. When she returned to the East Palace, the servants said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was in the study, and Jiang Yueying became even angrier.
What's the matter with you staying in the study every day? Don't you want to see her?
Filled with inexplicable anger, Jiang Yueying told Qing Ge and Pu Ling not to follow her and went to Ganmo Pavilion alone.
She had to see what shameful things this guy was planning in the study.
At the entrance of Ganmo Pavilion, guards from the Eastern Palace were guarding.
The guards saluted when they saw her and did not stop her from entering the study. Jiang Yueying walked into the study unhindered. Just as she was about to shout to boost her morale, she suddenly realized that there was no one inside.
Um?
Didn’t they say Xie Yuting was in the study?
Then she realized that there was something wrong with the layout of the study. Compared to the last time she came back, the bookshelf seemed to have moved. She bent over and turned to the other side, and the scene before her was shocking.
The wall behind the bookshelf was actually hollow, and there was a pitch-black corridor inside!
Could this be... the rumored secret passage?
Jiang Yueying was terrified. How could there be a secret passage in Xie Yuting's study? What could a playboy like him use to hide? It couldn't be a secret passage to keep his mistress in the mansion.
Or did this guy hide a lot of gold, silver and treasures, but the treasury couldn't hold them all, so he moved them underground?
She pursed her lips, feeling it was inappropriate to pry into other people's secrets.
Although she and Xie Yuting are husband and wife, they each have their own secrets. The other party deliberately built a secret passage, and he definitely didn't want others to know about this place.
It's best to pretend you know nothing.
Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard faint voices coming from inside.
There was more than just Xie Yuting inside.
The doubts grew stronger.
Isn’t Xie Yuting counting money in there?
After hesitating for a moment, she gritted her teeth and decided to find out.
Since there was no light, she groped her way forward along the cold wall. Afraid of making any noise and disturbing the people inside, she tiptoed carefully and explored deeper into the cave silently.
The voice inside became clearer and clearer. Jiang Yueying pricked up her ears to confirm that it was Xie Yuting who was speaking.
As she was about to get closer to the truth, she felt a little reluctant. No matter what Xie Yuting was hiding, they were not familiar enough to share each other's secrets.
If I rush in rashly, will it create resentment between them?
She stopped where she was, hesitating, with a conflict between her conscience and her desires.
Finally, she took a step forward.
The secret passage was built in a winding manner and was pitch black, which made it easier to hide her figure.
She held her breath and poked her head out a little.
What came into view was an astonishing scene.
Instantly, her pupils constricted.
The secret room was brightly lit, and its furnishings were no different from the study outside. The only difference was that there was a rosewood throne in the center. Xie Yuting, dressed in gorgeous robes, sat high up at the top, looking around disdainfully.
His handsome face was no longer frivolous as before, his thin lips were pursed into a line, his eyes were as cold as a blade, and an indelible sense of oppression lingered around him, as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath.
The warm yellow candlelight licked the side of the man's face, outlining an eerie halo that made people tremble all over.
In front of him, several men stood respectfully, all silent and holding their breath. The candlelight made their faces visible to Jiang Yueying.
She rubbed her eyes, unable to believe it. She had seen these people at the palace banquet before. They were all important officials in the court.
What happened? Why would a court minister meet Xie Yuting in the secret room of the East Palace?
Then, she heard Xie Yuting's voice filled with murderous intent.
"Since he wants to die, I'll give him a ride."
In stark contrast to his usual lazy and rogue tone, his tone was so solemn that it made people sweat. Jiang Yueying suspected that she was dreaming, otherwise how could she see such a majestic aura in Xie Yuting.
Are you crazy?
Who is seeking death? Give him a ride?
...Who is Xie Yuting going to kill?
Her mind was in a mess and she was completely unable to think. She could only retreat in panic, trying to leave the place first.
As she turned around, a familiar voice sounded behind her.
"Why are you running, my future queen?"
In an instant, my heart beat out of my chest.
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