Chapter 36 Song Youning and Song...
Song Youning chatted with Song Luoshu alone about some daily trivial matters. When they left the Yangxin Palace, the sun was shining brightly outside, so hot that it hurt people's faces.
Knowing her father well enough, Song Youning knew that if she continued with this topic, she would surely be scolded again. So she simply found an excuse to refuse Song Luoshu's invitation to lunch and hurriedly left the Yangxin Palace.
At this time, outside the Yangxin Palace, Li Funing and Xiao Lin were guarding the palace door on the left and right, like a pair of stone lions guarding the palace door, except that ordinary stone lions did not have such strong hostility.
Xiao Lin crossed his arms, Li Funing stood straight, fanning himself, and both of them were obviously sweating from the sun, but they still refused to leave. Li Funing was better off, at least he had a fan to cool down.
As for that idiot Xiao Lin, in such hot weather, he not only wore an airtight inner garment, but also a small metal half-body armor on the outside.
Although sweating profusely from the sun, they stubbornly stood outside the palace gate where the heat waves were surging, refusing to leave. Their tense gazes met at the palace gate.
As soon as Song Youning took a step out of the hall, she felt the hostility of the two men. Their eyes seemed to want to tear her in half.
She was now in a dilemma, not knowing which way to go left or right, afraid that if she took one wrong turn, the other would become an endless mess. Her mind raced during the few seconds of pause, and her body stood blankly in front of the palace gate.
Inside the Yangxin Palace, Song Luoshu couldn't help but sneer at the sight of his daughter standing blankly at the palace door, looking so caught in a dilemma that he almost choked on the fine pre-rain Longjing tea in his teacup.
This was the consequence of unequal treatment, which made her constantly retort to him, "It's because of your favor, father, that the concubines in the palace are scheming against each other all day long, and there's no peace. If it were your daughter, I would definitely treat them equally and never show partiality... Now that it's her turn, he wants to see how she can remain biased..."
Song Luoshu added insult to injury, "Eunuch Guo, the sun is too strong outside, go and close the door for me."
Eunuch Guo followed his gaze and saw Song Youning standing blankly at the palace gate, motionless for a long time, like a wooden stake. Eunuch Guo, who was a shrewd man, naturally understood what he meant. He waved the whisk in his hand and gloated, "Well, this old servant will go right away. Make sure that no heat can get in from the door..."
Song Youning, who was stuck at the door of the hall, glanced at the two of them. Her naked eyes seemed to want to eat her alive. She swallowed her saliva, suddenly turned her head, and prepared to walk into the hall. If she couldn't afford to offend these two plague gods, could she not hide from them?
She pretended to be embarrassed and said: "Well, I suddenly feel a little hungry..."
"Why don't you just let your father stay here for dinner... Prince Xiao and Lord Li should go back first... I still have some things to discuss with your father..."
Just as he turned around and took a step, with a "click", the carved wooden door in front of the pen tip closed so smoothly! Without a trace of hesitation!
This damn old man deliberately watched someone die without helping! Next time, she would definitely complain to her mother about him!
Seeing that he had another chance, Xiao Lin took the initiative to invite: "I haven't been to Your Highness's palace for a long time, and I miss Chuntao's almond yogurt. How about..."
Before she could finish her words, a large hand on the right suddenly clamped her slender wrist and pulled her towards it with a clever force. She stumbled and turned to the side. "I left the jade pendant on my waist in the princess's bedroom last night. Why don't you take me back to look for it, Your Highness?"
Li Funing pulled her over, and his bony hands held her tightly like a big lock.
"Last night, in the side hall?" Xiao Lin frowned and muttered. Before he could react, Song Youning was pulled out of the hall corridor by Li Funing.
"You two were together last night?" Xiao Lin thought for a while and raised his head, but there was no one there.
"Your Highness!" Chun Tao and a group of maids followed closely behind, but were still left behind.
"Wait for me, the prince!" Xiao Lin didn't care what Li Funing had just said, and jumped up to catch up.
The surrounding flowers and plants moved as the two men quickened their pace.
Song Youning looked at Li Funing, who was running all the way while holding her hand, with a complicated expression. What happened to this guy? Did she not offend him? Could it be that she had just said that she was going to the Northern Territory for Xiao Lin?
"Ahem," she cleared her throat and let him hold her hand.
Explained: "I just saw that Xiao Lin was a person who was dedicated to the people and wanted to be loyal to the country, so I helped him. Lord Li, please don't think too much..."
My eyes glanced at him, only to see that the man in front of me was indifferent.
Isn't it because of this? Is it because she's going to the North?
"Okay, I admit that I followed Xiao Lin to the northern border to prevent King Zhenbei from gaining military power, and it was not entirely for Xiao Lin..."
She secretly glanced at Li Funing, but he still didn't say anything, just kept pulling her hand and walking forward.
Seeing him here alone again, not knowing what he was angry about, Song Youning's anger suddenly surged in his heart, and he suddenly shook his hand away: "Master Li, what exactly do you mean?"
Li Funing paused and finally stopped walking, his face still looking as calm as the breeze and bright moon, but because of the scorching heat and the rapid running just now, his fair face was stained with a layer of red.
He stared at her impatient eyes, which were originally calm but were now tinged with anger. His handsome straight eyebrows were now tightly furrowed together. Perhaps it was because of the intense movement just now, but his body was trembling slightly and his eyes were dazed.
When Song Youning saw him like this, all the anger he had just felt disappeared and he softened instantly.
She pretended not to care, glanced at him twice, and quickly turned her gaze away: "This... this is not the route back to the palace. It's so scorching hot. Where is Lord Li taking me?"
At this time, Song Youning was led by Li Funing to a remote place in the imperial garden. There was no one around, only the scorching sun above their heads.
The air was thick with heat waves. The once vibrant flowers and plants curled up and hung languidly on the branches. The once cool stone paths were now scorching hot.
Not far away, there was a set of stone tables and benches, which were also hot from the sun, and there were some small stone holes on the benches.
The grooves must have been created by years of accumulated water. There was moss crawling on the ground where the stool met the grass, and it looked like it was quite old.
Not to mention people, no one wants to stay under the scorching sun now.
She looked around, not knowing where he had taken them. Judging from the layout, they should still be in the Imperial Garden, but this layout did not give her any impression.
Wasn't his jade pendant placed in her side hall? Why did he come here in such hot weather instead of going to her palace?
"Your Highness, do you still remember this place?" Li Funing, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.
"Huh?" Song Youning, who was still scanning the surroundings, was even more confused. Could this be some extraordinary place? She looked around carefully again and confirmed once again that she had never been here before!
Li Funing looked at her reaction, laughed at himself, and his eyes became even darker.
Seeing his lost look, Song Youning felt sorry for him and tried her best to search for the memory of this place in her mind.
"This, this is..." She pretended to recall something and wanted to say something to cover up her embarrassment, but when she met Li Funing's expectant eyes, she gave up. She really couldn't remember where this was!
He lowered his eyelids slightly and spoke slowly, "This is the stone bench where the princess placed the letter on the day she escaped with Prince Xiao..."
"A stone bench! Yes, it's a stone bench!" Song Youning blinked and laughed.
Li Funing lowered his head and eyes, his voice deep and slow, as if floating from the depths of time: "The day Your Highness followed Prince Xiao... I was so delighted in the Prime Minister's residence that I changed three sets of clothes before choosing my wedding dress, and even adjusted the tassels on the jade crown... Only then did I enter the palace full of hope."
"What we got was indeed the news from Eunuch Guo that the princess was traveling far away..."
He stared at the mottled marks on the stone bench in a daze. "At that time, I firmly believed in the friendship between Your Highness and me as a child. I couldn't believe that Your Highness would abandon me..."
"I had to see it for myself, so I hurried here with the palace servants. However, I only found a letter written by the princess after drinking on the mottled stone bench, saying "I'm leaving the palace for a long journey, don't worry about me."
"That day was just as hot as today. I sat here alone for a long time, thinking hard but unable to figure it out..."
"Why would His Highness, who has been chasing after me since childhood, abandon me when I was engaged? Was all the love His Highness showed me when he was young just a show? So I sit here and wait... and wait..."
"I sat there from the scorching sun until sunset, the night wind biting my bones, but I still didn't get any news of the princess returning to the palace..."
"On the contrary..." He smiled bitterly, "I never saw His Highness again..."
Song Youning twisted the handkerchief unconsciously, and the forgotten past gradually came to her mind.
During that period, she was a little tired of being bullied by Li Funing. He kept her in the study every day to learn etiquette, and even the mud spots on the tips of her embroidered shoes would be criticized by the nanny.
Although she was born as the most noble princess of Dagan and the future empress of the dynasty, she always had an unruly spirit in her bones. She knew that sooner or later she would take over the throne of Dagan from her father, but she did not want to live like a walking corpse.
On the day of her engagement, she sat on this stone bench the afternoon before, staring at the birds flying over the palace wall, thinking about her marriage with Li Funing.
Li Funing was as gentle as jade, the ideal match that all women in the world dreamed of. She really liked him, but she was unwilling to learn those rigid rules for him and become a dignified and quiet royal puppet.
I decided to break off the engagement right then and there. Let him choose another lady, and let me live my own life.
But who could have known that Xiao Lin, that scoundrel, would come to find her with the wine from the Western Regions that day. She was not paying attention, and the wine and meat went through her stomach, and she became bolder. She immediately drank with Xiao Lin and became intoxicated, and completely forgot to report the matter to her father.
At that time, Xiao Lin was drunk, leaning on the stone table and grinning foolishly: "Your Highness, do you know? There is a kind of camel in the Western Regions that can spit out flames three meters away when it gets angry."
The alcohol mixed with the heat surged into her head, and she had forgotten all about the marriage. Suddenly, she slammed the table and said, "Let's go! If you can't find the fire-breathing camel today, I will make you squat on the stove in the imperial kitchen and breathe fire!"
Ever since leaving the palace with Xiao Lin, she has traveled far and wide and lived a carefree life. She doesn't want to go back to that boring life of reading and copying calligraphy.
In order to prevent her father from finding her, she cut off contact with the palace.
Looking at Li Funing, whose body was trembling slightly and the corners of his eyes were red, she didn't know what to say. Indeed, the harm she caused to him because of her playfulness when she was young was indelible.
She lowered her head slightly, pursed her lips, and uttered a few words hoarsely from her throat: "Sorry!"
After listening to this, the corners of Li Funing's eyes became even redder, as if he wanted to tell everyone all the grievances he had suffered over the years.
He took two steps forward, raised her chin with his fingertips, his eyes growing increasingly angry. "Now, Princess, are you going to follow Prince Xiao and abandon me again?"
"No, I just... had something to deal with..." She raised her head suddenly, wanting to explain, but gradually felt guilty. It seemed that she had indeed forgotten him again...
Song Youning muttered softly, "Didn't Lord Li also tell father that he wanted to go together?" His voice gradually became smaller until it was completely inaudible.
When Li Funing heard her say this, his eyes turned bloodshot with anger, and a murderous aura emanated from his body. "If I had not mentioned this to Your Majesty, I would still be the one abandoned by the princess, wouldn't I?"
His voice gradually became furious, completely different from his usual calm demeanor. He stared at Song Youning fiercely: "I would like to ask you, will the princess never have me in her heart?" He looked at her, his eyes were deep and dark, and there was a faint invisible flame in his eyes.
Song Youning's lips trembled slightly, and he swallowed the words back when they came to his lips.
She suddenly realized that all her explanations were just pale excuses. She had never given him any leeway in her reckless behavior during her youth. She had never considered him in her actions and conduct.
She dug her fingertips deep into her palms, vaguely remembering the scenes from her childhood, when she always stood under the magnolia tree outside the hall, holding the newly copied poems waiting for her to read.
She either used the excuse of being sleepy or followed Xiao Lin over the wall and slipped away, without even leaving him a single glance. Although she did favor him and was always thinking about him, she cared more about her own happiness than him.
One could even say that her throbbing feelings for Li Funing at that time were nothing more than a fleeting firework. She was stunned by his cool silhouette holding a scroll under the moonlight, intoxicated by the flickering light in his eyes when he smiled, and the unattainable freshness that played a role...
It's like a child chasing a butterfly, not really wanting to capture it, but simply craving the fluttering colors. Once he actually catches it, he finds it boring.
She feels guilty towards him!
She looked at the person in front of her with anger in her eyes, and a slight pain rose in her throat.
It turns out that some debts have been engraved into the years inadvertently, and even making up for them seems ridiculous.
While the two were confronting each other, Xiao Lin also caught up and intruded into the stalemate at an inappropriate time. He walked to the stone table on his own, and as soon as his buttocks touched the table, he bounced back instantly, "Ah! It's so hot."
Then Chuntao also hurried over with a group of people.
Looking at her master standing in the sun, sweating profusely, Chuntao felt distressed. She didn't care about the etiquette and took the oil-paper umbrella from the maid beside her to cover her, and took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her master's face, "Your Highness, let me wipe it for you."
Song Youning looked at the people rushing over and waved her hands, "No need." She raised her head to look at the sun, "Now..."
Dazzled by the glaring sunlight, her voice suddenly paused. She raised her hand to shield herself from the sun and looked at Chuntao beside her: "Chuntao, what time is it now?"
Chuntao put the handkerchief in her hand into her sleeve: "Your Highness, it's time for lunch. Would you like to go back to the bedroom, or..." Chuntao glanced at Li Funing with a sullen face, and hesitated to speak.
Song Youning was silent for a moment, then gave Chuntao a look like he did when they were children.
Chuntao understood immediately, moved lightly to Li Funing, and tightened her handkerchief inconspicuously.
She saw most clearly the entanglement between the princess and Lord Li over the years.
Every time the princess lost her temper and annoyed Lord Li, she would always be the one to offer him a way out. Lord Li was gentle and polite, and never made things difficult for servants like them, so it was best for her to do so.
"Lord Li..."
Chuntao bowed and spoke in a very low voice, "If we go back home at this hour, I'm afraid we will miss lunch. His Highness specially asked the kitchen to prepare your favorite crab meat lion's head this morning..." At the end of her words, she glanced at her master out of the corner of her eye.
"I wonder if Lord Li would do me the honor?"
Song Youning glanced at him calmly. Li Funing, who was furious just now, had lost most of his anger. His frosty look had also begun to melt and loosen. Li Funing met her furtive gaze, and Song Youning was so scared that he quickly looked away.
Li Funing just said out all the words that had been pent up in his mind for a long time, and the anger in his heart also subsided for the most part. He knew that she was trying to show weakness to him, and he sneered in his heart. He could never be cruel to her.
"Since Your Highness has invited me, thank you so much, Princess!"
Song Youning's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and her originally nervous heart felt like a huge stone had fallen to the ground. She didn't realize that her dress was already soaked with sweat. She lifted the hem of her skirt and reached out to grab Li Funing's wrist, holding his sweat-soaked hand in her palm: "That's great!"
The corners of her eyes and eyebrows were full of joy, and she kept muttering like a machine gun: "Lord Li, you don't know that I asked Chuntao to watch over the kitchen chopping meat at the hour of Yin, and the crab roe was sent from Gusu by express horse this morning..."
"Lord Li will definitely like it..."
"Is there a share for this prince?" Xiao Lin flashed in between the two of them, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, and he deliberately put his face in front of Song Youning. His amber eyes reflected the sunset, and he looked like a puppy begging for food.
Song Youning didn't even raise her head, but pressed her slender fingers against Xiao Lin's forehead and pushed him away: "Prince Xiao, you wish."
Her fingertips touched the sweat on his forehead, and she rubbed them against the brocade on his shoulder in disgust.
Li Funing lowered his eyes and looked at the girl's disgusted expression, and suddenly a smile appeared on his lips. That smile was like a spring breeze blowing across the lake, quiet and charming.
Song Youning grabbed Li Funing's wrist and walked towards Youning Palace, her voice gentle and considerate, "Lord Li, let's go!" The hem of her scarlet skirt swept across the bluestone slabs, startling a few scattered leaves.
Xiao Lin dragged out his voice behind him and shouted: "Song Youning, you are a heartless person..."
A quarter of an hour later, everyone arrived at the bedroom. As soon as Song Youning stepped into the bedroom, he unbuttoned his collar, picked up the green jade pot on the table, walked straight to the rattan lounge chair, and drank it in one gulp.
The cold tea flowed down the chin and neck, leaving dark water marks on the crimson shirt.
"Quick, quick, put all the ice jars here for me!" She threw the empty pot onto the table beside her, and the glass cups beside it jingled.
Not feeling cool enough, she loosened her collar, kicked off her boots, and ordered Chuntao, "Get some more water!" Halfway through her words, she suddenly caught sight of Li Funing's sweat-soaked back and added, "Get a bucket for Lord Li, too!"
"Let's wait until I'm done bathing before eating..."
Li Funing was bending over to tidy up the boots she had kicked off, and his fingertips paused slightly when he heard this.
He raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Your Highness... one bucket is enough." There was a hint of laughter in his voice.
Song Youning met his eyes in confusion.
He chuckled, "After all, after bathing..." He suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across her loosened collar, "Your Highness will sweat again at night... This one time won't make a difference..."
"You!" Song Youning's ears suddenly felt burning, and she grabbed the fan and threw it at him.
Li Funing calmly caught the fan thrown to her, walked over slowly, and blew a cool breeze for her. The cicadas outside the window were chirping noisily, but they could not cover up the sound of her heartbeat.
She snatched back the fan and fanned herself vigorously a few times, her face burning hot.
"Chun Tao! Prepare some water!" She raised her voice to hide her panic, "If you delay any longer, I'm going to stink!"
Chuntao responded repeatedly, asking why His Highness was so noisy today.
The palace maids nimbly carried the bathtub in and placed it in the inner room. The hot steam mixed with the fragrance of flower petals filled the hall.
Song Youning turned his back and pretended to be calm as he took off the golden hairpin from his hair. Li Funing chuckled behind him and said, "Your Highness, don't worry. I won't peek!"
"Li Funing!"
She turned around suddenly, but saw that he had already retreated behind the screen, leaving only a slender silhouette. The door of the hall creaked softly, and the slender figure disappeared into the corridor and went to the side hall to take a bath.
She stepped into the bathtub angrily, the warm water poured over her shoulders, and she breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing how fast her heart was beating.
After an incense stick of time, Song Youning finished bathing and felt refreshed. Just as he stepped out of the palace and went to the side hall to find Li Funing, he saw Xiao Lin squatting under the corridor pillar with his arms folded and looking aggrieved.
When Xiao Lin saw Song Youning, he rushed over as if he had seen a savior.
Chuntao was opening her arms to stop him, like a bird protecting its cub, protecting Song Youning behind her.
"Ningning..."
When Xiao Lin saw her, he immediately stood up, his amber eyes moist: "This prince is so hungry that he can eat a cow."
Song Youning glanced at him for two seconds, looking like someone who had just been pulled out of the water. His body was soaked in sweat, and his hair was blown down and stuck to his cheeks. "Why didn't you go back to the Zhenbei Palace?"
Xiao Lin's pair of puppy eyes that always smiled seemed to be covered with mist at this moment. He looked pitiful, like an abandoned puppy: "I'm hungry..."
He pulled Song Youning's sleeve and shook it gently: "Ningning, before I leave, let me accompany you to have a meal in the palace, please..."
Xiao Lin chattered non-stop, "Before every expedition..."
Song Youning covered his chattering mouth with one hand: "Stop it, I'm also accompanying the army this time, there are plenty of opportunities..."
"But this is the only chance in the palace..." Xiao Lin wanted to argue, but saw Song Youning turn around and walk towards the side hall, so he hurried to catch up.
He chirped like a sparrow all the way.
At this time, the carved door of the side hall was half-open, and Li Funing could be vaguely seen setting the table. He heard footsteps and looked up, his eyes paused on Xiao Lin's face, and suddenly he gently pushed the crab meat lion head that was originally placed in front of him to the center of the dining table.
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