Chapter 262 Lychee
From the Eastern Palace, the Qilin Guard rushed over and reported:
"Lord Xie Tingzhou and Lord Chu Heng were waiting at the palace gate. The two lords had a very pleasant conversation. Afterwards, Princess Chang Le left the palace, Lord Chu took his leave, and Lord Xie... got into Princess Chang Le's carriage."
After sitting at the long table, Qi Jun unconsciously gripped the pen tightly, and a large drop of ink instantly dripped from the untouched brush tip, spreading an unsightly stain on the slightly yellow Chengxin paper.
Hearing that the Crown Prince remained silent for a long time, the young and impetuous guard took it upon himself to ask:
"Your Highness, shall I investigate further and report back?"
Qi Jun sighed almost inaudibly, it was unclear whether he was lamenting the fact that the painting was mostly finished but had been destroyed, or something else entirely.
He put down his brush, folded the painting, and hid it in a dark, sunless box.
"No need. Just follow her from a distance and make sure she is safe and sound."
The young guard was puzzled. Judging from the Crown Prince's expression, he was clearly worried about the Princess and Lord Xie riding in the same carriage. Both were unmarried, and if word got out, it would not only damage the Princess's reputation but also anger the Princess. So why not just let him go and listen to what the two were talking about? In case they said something they shouldn't, they could prepare in advance.
However, all the Qilin Guards had undergone rigorous training, and since their master had given the order, they no longer questioned it and immediately obeyed and went out.
The Crown Prince was left alone in the study.
He personally laid out the paper, ground the ink, and moistened the brush again. When a very light shade of indigo appeared on the brush once more, he finally couldn't resist and called Sun Miao in.
Princess Chang Le's carriage had only gone less than a mile from the palace gate. Perhaps because the mistress inside was talking and there were maids walking alongside outside, the coachman was driving very slowly.
Sun Miao quickly stopped the carriage, but he was so tired that he was covered in sweat and his thick body jiggled.
"Eunuch Sun? Does the Crown Prince have any instructions?"
The carriage stopped, and Lanxin immediately explained the situation to the princess inside.
Sun Miao wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve and laughed:
"Greetings, Princess. This afternoon, two baskets of lychees were newly presented as tribute from Lingnan. His Majesty will bestow them upon the Emperor at the court assembly tomorrow. However, the Crown Prince is concerned about the Eldest Princess and would like to ask the Princess to take them back with her, so that she may also enjoy their freshness."
Lychees are precious. Last year, the lychee trees in the south were infested with insects, so there was no tribute. It seems that the pests have been cured this year, but the yield is still not plentiful, only two small baskets. Apart from the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and some meritorious officials who need to be appeased, I'm afraid that not a single dish will be allocated to the Princess's residence.
Since it was the Crown Prince who cared about the Eldest Princess, Qi Yuxuan couldn't refuse. "Lanxin, please accept it."
"Thank you for making this trip, Eunuch Sun. Please return to the East Palace as soon as possible, as the Crown Prince cannot be without someone to serve him."
The eunuch behind Sun Miao immediately carried forward a small basket of fresh lychees wrapped in a cotton quilt, mixed with crushed ice, intending to place it on the back of the carriage.
The royal princess's carriage was large in scale. In addition to being able to accommodate four horses, the carriage also had a flat platform at the front and back for temporarily placing boxes and cages.
As soon as the eunuch finished setting it down, Sun Miao said, "Princess, the Crown Prince also instructed that these lychees are hot in nature, so the Princess and the Eldest Princess must not overindulge in them. After eating them, you should drink wolfberry and chrysanthemum tea. The Crown Prince will visit the Eldest Princess again in two days."
"Then this servant will not delay the princess's return to the manor any longer."
The plump and fair-skinned Sun Miao smiled and took his leave, and the carriage continued to travel slowly towards the Princess's residence.
Inside the car, Xie Tingzhou had already heard the whole story, which was almost identical to everything he knew, and even clearer and more complete.
He remained silent for a long while until the prince's eunuch personally brought up the lychees.
"Alright, since there's nothing else, Lord Xie, please go back now. I also need to return to my residence. If I linger too long, my mother will worry."
Qi Yuxuan leaned against the soft pillows, a hint of fatigue in her eyes.
She got up early today, went to the palace for a banquet and watched archery and polo, and then listened to a lot of troublesome lawsuits at the East Palace. Now she was really tired and just wanted to escape back to the Princess and eat iced lychees to cool off.
In Xie Tingzhou's eyes, even with her somewhat tired appearance and the tone that urged him to leave, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.
He couldn't pretend that what happened at Zhuangshan that night hadn't occurred, after all, it was a man and a woman alone in a room for an entire night, and they had smelled that fragrance...
Xie Tingzhou's heart was pounding wildly in his chest, and his ears were gradually burning, but even though he was extremely nervous, his voice remained calm and steady:
"Princess, forgive my impertinence, but I wonder if the Eldest Princess has already discussed your marriage?"
Qi Yuxuan lifted her eyelids and glanced at him: "Since you know it's presumptuous, Lord Xie shouldn't have asked."
"...But that night, Xie, after all..."
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Qi Yuxuan suddenly raised her voice, and the maids outside the carriage vaguely heard it and exchanged glances.
"That was just an accident. Even if nothing happened between us, my marriage is none of anyone else's business. Now that Lord Xie has achieved his wish, he should focus on his own ambitions, not other irrelevant matters."
Xie Tingzhou's heart grew colder and colder: "I am a crippled man and know that I am not worthy of the princess. However, I will not marry or have children in the future. I only wish to serve the princess and atone for my sins."
"There's no need for that. Lord Xie, just do your job and don't meddle in other people's business."
"From now on, unless absolutely necessary, we need not meet again."
After saying his last sentence, Xie Tingzhou was forced off the carriage.
It was still hot outside, but Qi Yuxuan happily called the maids onto the carriage, since there was ice inside, making it cool and a place for them to rest.
He stood by the roadside, watching Princess Chang Le's carriage drive away. Even after the carriage disappeared from sight, the basket of lychees behind it was still very conspicuous. He slowly clenched his fist.
The Eastern Palace.
Sun Miao had already wiped away his sweat before entering, but unfortunately the Crown Prince was neither afraid of the cold nor the heat. Even the ice chest was not used in the study during the hot summer. He was covered in sweat again after being in there for a short while.
"That's all she said?"
The prince put down his brush, seemingly admiring his own painting.
Sun Miao readily agreed, "The princess sounds very happy; she must be grateful that Your Highness remembers the eldest princess and the princess."
Happy?
Qi Jun frowned, suddenly feeling that the painting wasn't so pleasing to the eye anymore.
"Alright, you can go now."
Sun Miao was puzzled. Had he said something wrong? Why hadn't the Crown Prince's mood improved at all?
However, he quickly convinced himself that it was normal for the crown prince to be worried and anxious when the court was preparing to attack Nanyue.
The next day, the Princess's residence opened its doors to welcome guests, and Zhao Mei arrived.
Upon learning that Qi Yuxuan was willing to do cosmetics business with her, Zhao Mei was very excited. She brought a large box of rouge and face powder with great sincerity, saying that it was for the Princess's residence to use for fun.
Qi Yuxuan readily accepted, but when it came to the store's location, she was adamant: "It will be located on Zhuque Street."
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