Chapter 39 She's finished!
Yun Kui, who served in the deep palace, had never seen such a grand palace banquet, nor had she ever watched such a powerful and exhilarating performance by warriors.
The powerful and stirring drumbeats, the vigorous and forceful movements, and the strong and muscular physiques truly broadened her horizons and made her blood boil.
As she was secretly amazed, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. When she came to her senses, she realized that the Crown Prince's dark, gloomy eyes were staring coldly at her.
Yun Kui's heart skipped a beat: "...Your Highness, what are your orders?"
The crown prince tapped on the table, "Peel hazelnuts for me."
Yun Kui looked at the tall, sunflower-shaped plate in front of him, which was filled with hazelnuts, and stammered, "How many...how many should I peel?"
Crown Prince: "Let's peel these first."
Yun Kui was extremely surprised.
He doesn't usually crave food, and he would simply take away dried fruits like hazelnuts and almonds without moving them once they were served. But today he actually asked her to peel a whole plate of hazelnuts!
She glanced longingly at the lead dancer wearing the bronze mask, then lowered her head helplessly and picked up her tools to start hammering and banging.
Cheers erupted from the banquet, and she immediately looked up, only to unexpectedly meet the Crown Prince's cold gaze.
Yun Kui had a vague guess in her heart and muttered softly, "His Highness doesn't allow me to watch the song and dance?"
Crown Prince: "Is this just ordinary singing and dancing?"
"Isn't that right?" Yun Kui said weakly, "They performed openly and honestly, and everyone watched openly and honestly. I can't just gouge out my own eyes, can I?"
"You are my bedchamber maid," the Crown Prince coldly reminded him, "What other woman on the other side stares at a man so intently as you do?"
Yun Kui craned her neck to look at the other side of the screen. She refused to believe that, with the music and drums beating loudly at the banquet, not a single one of the hundreds of concubines and noblewomen on the other side looked up.
How could anyone tolerate this?!
Before they could even see the concubines and female relatives, their gazes met those of the sixth prince, who was not far away at the banquet.
The Sixth Prince hadn't expected to see Yun Kui again today, and was about to wave to her when the Crown Prince coldly swept over, his sharp eyes flashing with a chilling light. Startled, he quickly shrank back and pretended to chat with the Fourth Prince beside him.
The prince slowly withdrew his gaze, secretly clenching his molars.
Yun Kui was even more certain that the Crown Prince simply wouldn't allow her to look at other men! Not even the Sixth Prince, and not even the burly men performing songs and dances.
"He keeps it all to himself and forbids me from seeing it too! Is this the magnanimity of a crown prince?"
"If you were willing to show it to me every day, would I need to be curious about other people's!"
Yun Kui puffed out her cheeks, but when she saw the prince's clenched fist and the bulging veins on the back of his hand, she shrugged in fright, obediently lowered her head, and continued peeling hazelnuts.
At the front of the women's section sat noble ladies of the imperial family and high-ranking concubines. Only a few princesses and county princesses dared to openly appreciate the men's shirtless act, while the women behind them chatted with their heads down.
Today, Lady Wuning sat with her married daughter, Jiang Qingci.
Marquis Wu Ning is a veteran of countless battles. In the past, he was Emperor Jingyou's most valued general. Now, he and his son are fighting side by side with the Crown Prince, serving as his right-hand men. Jiang Qingci married Shen Yanyu, a fourth-rank official, last year and has now been granted an imperial title.
Palace maids came and went in the corridor, refilling the teacups in front of the nobles.
As the mother and daughter were talking, a palace maid accidentally knocked over the teapot on the tray, wetting Jiang Qingci's sleeve.
The palace maid was so frightened that she quickly knelt down and wiped Jiang Qingci's face. "Please forgive me, Madam. I didn't mean it. May I take you to the side hall to change your clothes?"
The winter clothes were damp and cold, sticking to her body uncomfortably. Jiang Qingci had no choice but to explain the reason to her mother, get up from her seat, and follow the maid to the side hall to change her clothes.
Upon entering the side hall, one is immediately greeted by a sweet, cloying incense. Red charcoal burns in the stove, making the room warm and cozy. However, Jiang Qingci felt a little dizzy, perhaps due to the lack of ventilation, but she didn't pay much attention to it.
The maid led her inside and took out a dress that had been prepared in advance from the clothes rack for her to change into.
For this palace banquet, Consort Yin prepared more than ten sets of dresses so that the women could change in time if they accidentally soiled their clothes.
There is also a lantern show in the palace on New Year's Eve. In previous years, there have been many people pushing, falling, and even falling into the water. It is always good to be prepared.
Jiang Qingci unbuttoned her clothes, but felt no cold at all. Instead, her body felt faintly hot and numb. Gradually, her eyes began to glaze over, and her limbs slowly lost their strength.
She sensed something was wrong and called out to her maid, but the maid, who had been following closely behind her just moments before, had vanished.
She was anxious and was about to go out to look for someone when suddenly her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground.
The maid who spilled the tea immediately moved the person to the bed.
The singing and dancing continued during the banquet, and the long table in front of the crown prince was filled with delicacies.
After Yun Kui finished peeling the last hazelnut, she dusted her hands and inadvertently spotted a familiar face among the palace maids serving the dishes.
It turned out to be Shan Tao, who had slept in the same dormitory room as her when she was in the Imperial Kitchen.
Shan Tao put down the goose feet stuffed with Hundred Flowers and winked at her. Yun Kui smiled back and followed her as she left. Unexpectedly, Shan Tao waved to her as she left the palace, probably wanting her to come out and talk.
Yun Kui hadn't seen her for two months, and unfortunately, she didn't even have the chance to exchange a few pleasantries with the Crown Prince.
She pushed the bowl of hazelnuts in front of the Crown Prince, saying, "Your Highness, I've finished peeling them."
The prince gave a faint "hmm" and showed no sign of rushing to eat.
Yun Kui cautiously observed his expression, then smiled obsequiously and said, "Your Highness, I saw an acquaintance from the Imperial Kitchen. May I go out and say a few words to her?"
The crown prince glanced at her, unusually good-natured: "Go."
Yun Kui happily thanked her and ran out, lifting her skirt.
The Crown Prince gave Qin Ge a wink.
Qin Ge immediately understood: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will send someone to secretly protect Miss Yun Kui."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince frowned, wanting to say something but too lazy to do so, and waved for the person to leave.
At the women's table, Consort Yu rose and took her leave from Consort Yin.
Today, fearing that the Ninth Prince might be frightened upon seeing the Crown Prince, Consort Yu did not bring him out. She only instructed the palace maids of Baohua Palace to take him to the Imperial Garden to see the palace lanterns. He should have arrived by now.
Consort Yin, who was the hostess of the women's quarters today and whose status in the harem was second only to the Empress, adopted an unusually arrogant attitude and admonished, "The Ninth Prince is unruly. You must discipline him strictly in the future. Once he is better, you should take him to the East Palace to apologize to the Crown Prince."
Consort Yu was displeased, but outwardly she still obediently agreed.
When the Crown Prince saw Consort Yu get up from afar, he immediately signaled to Cao Yuanlu to send someone to follow her.
After several rounds of drinks, someone hurriedly entered the hall.
The man lingered near the Crown Prince's seat for a moment, but finally couldn't help but step forward and say, "Your Highness, this servant is a palace servant of Chaoyang Palace, and has important matters to report..."
The crown prince raised an eyebrow with interest: "Oh?"
The young eunuch hesitated, then lowered his voice and squeezed out a few words with great difficulty: "Your concubine who serves you in bed was caught red-handed by Chief Eunuch Lin in the side hall with a courtesan... You should go and see for yourself!"
This person probably didn't expect the Crown Prince to be so calm. His most beloved concubine was out with someone else, yet he could remain unmoved and sit still.
The young eunuch was somewhat at a loss, and tried to urge him, "Your Highness, Chief Steward Lin is waiting for you to personally go and deal with him!"
"If the Crown Prince doesn't catch them in the act, things won't go smoothly from here on out!"
The crown prince then feigned anger and stood up, ordering, "Lead the way."
The heir of the Marquis of Ningde across from him watched as he rose from his seat, his cold eyes slowly narrowing.
Over the years, the Empress and her father have tried almost every means to deal with the Crown Prince, including assassination, poisoning, and drugging, but in the end, they still failed.
Today he has already laid a trap in the side hall. After tonight, the Crown Prince will surely be condemned by everyone and abandoned by his people.
He gripped the wine cup in his hand, estimating that the time was almost up. Just as he was about to invite Emperor Chunming, Marquis Wuning, and others to watch the show, his trusted attendant rushed in from outside, covered in cold sweat. He whispered something in his ear, and the heir of Marquis Ningde's face immediately changed drastically, almost crushing the cup in his hand.
"What exactly happened?"
"Consort Yu was on her way to the Imperial Garden to find His Highness the Ninth Prince when she was accidentally bumped into by someone while passing under the corridor, which soiled her dress. That's why she entered the side hall... Your Highness, rest assured, I have already sent people to keep a close watch on her, and there are also people blocking the Crown Prince's way. The side hall is safe for the time being. However, Consort Yu is inside, and she and the lead dancer are disheveled. I really dare not risk bringing her out. I must ask Your Highness for a decision..."
The Marquis of Ningde's heir's face was cold and fierce, his features almost distorted. He immediately clenched his fist and stood up: "Seal off the side hall immediately! No one is allowed to approach! Also, send someone to lure away the Crown Prince. No, no, send Qilian with his men there. We'll make our move tonight! The Crown Prince must not be allowed to live any longer!"
He simply couldn't calm down. The Crown Prince absolutely couldn't witness what was happening in the side hall. If he went there now, he still had a chance to rescue the person.
There was no antidote for the Hehuan Powder, and he couldn't leave her in the palace to be defiled by a lowly courtesan.
He was very familiar with Chaoyang Palace and could easily hide her away.
But he didn't want to wait any longer! Whether it was by chance or someone's scheme, as long as the Crown Prince died tonight, the palace banquet would be in chaos, and everything would be resolved.
The heir of the Marquis of Ningde clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door of the side hall. Sure enough, he heard the soft moans of a woman inside.
He knew that voice all too well.
It really was her.
Marquis Ningde quickly extinguished the incense in the burner, then hurried around the screen. What he saw was Consort Yu lying on the bed, her face flushed and her body limp. The entertainer had disappeared without a trace.
Wait, an actor?
The heir of the Marquis of Ningde felt a chill run through him and immediately realized something was wrong.
Steward Lin and the actors are all gone!
Jiang Qingci, the daughter of Marquis Wuning, who should have been here, was not there either! There wasn't even a single servant attending her; only Consort Yu was in the room!
He immediately realized that someone had probably tricked him into coming here!
Could it be the Crown Prince? Or Emperor Chunming?
But his affair with Consort Yu was so secret that even the Empress was completely unaware of it! His father only knew one side of the story and would never reveal it!
A sudden, intense pain shot through his head, as if he had been cleaved open by a sharp blade. His vision went black, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Overwhelming fear and rage nearly engulfed him.
At this moment, the woman on the bed trembled and softly called his name: "Huaichuan, Huaichuan, is that you...?"
Xie Huaichuan was almost jolted, as if a taut string in his mind had snapped.
The woman's charming and gentle voice lingered in his ears; she was the one he had been thinking about day and night, the one who belonged to him... How could he possibly ignore her?
He strode forward and embraced her soft body. "Ah Xuan, don't be afraid, I'll take you out..."
Consort Yu was deeply affected by the medicine; her limbs were weak and powerless, and her hot, slender body clung tightly to his waist like vines.
"Huaichuan, I miss you so much..."
Xie Huaichuan's breath hitched, and he tilted his head back, his chest heaving violently.
Although he extinguished the aphrodisiac as soon as he entered, the fragrance still lingered in the air. Perhaps it was the lingering alluring scent that affected his thoughts, or perhaps it was the fact that her boneless body clung to him so tenderly. This was a scene he had dreamed of countless times, so how could he bear to let go?
But this was not the place for intimacy. He clenched his fists tightly, forcing himself to calm down.
Taking her away now would only draw more attention, and her personal attendant might have already been bribed...
He suddenly looked at the tightly closed carved window inside the room.
The only way forward now is for him to leave first and find a maid in Baohua Palace to settle her in. Even if it's too late and someone discovers it, there are no men in the side hall, so there's no way to catch them in the act...
He gently kissed the shivering woman in his arms and whispered to comfort her, "Ah Xuan, we've been set up. If I stay here, we're both doomed. Right now, I can only try to get out first and then find someone to rescue you. Don't be afraid, just wait here for a while, okay?"
Just as he was about to get up, the woman's hot, disordered breath rushed towards him, followed by her fragrant, soft red lips...
Outside Chaoyang Hall.
Qin Ge stepped forward and reported, "The Ninth Prince is already in my hands. Would Your Highness like to go there now?"
The crown prince curled his lips into a smile. "Let's go invite His Majesty to watch a good show together."
It's a pity that neither the Empress nor the Marquis of Ningde are here today, otherwise this scene would have been even more exciting.
The prince suddenly remembered something, "Where is Yun Kui?"
Qin Ge said with some difficulty, "Miss Yun Kui met a guard from her hometown, and the two are talking outside the tea room."
The crown prince's expression instantly turned cold.
...
Yun Kui was talking to Shan Tao when she unexpectedly saw her fellow villager Li Meng in the patrol team at Chaoyang Gate.
Li Meng had not seen her for a long time and did not know that Yun Kui was already the Crown Prince's bedchamber maid. He then used the excuse of relieving himself to break away from the queue and come forward to greet her.
"I almost forgot, you work in the Imperial Kitchen, weren't you serving tea and meals in the Chaoyang Palace today?"
Li Meng lived up to his name, being tall, strong, and imposing.
The two walked to a secluded spot outside the tea room, and Yun Kui smiled at him: "I'm working at the Eastern Palace now, and I came here with His Highness the Crown Prince today."
Upon hearing the words "Eastern Palace," Li Meng's eye twitched involuntarily. "Eastern Palace? I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince recently purged everyone in the Eastern Palace, and you..."
Yun Kui said, "His Highness knows that I am loyal and devoted, so naturally he will not punish me."
The Crown Prince even kept her by his side as an attendant, wouldn't that mean...?
Li Meng cautiously looked around: "Since you serve by the Crown Prince's side, I should..."
He'd better run away quickly!
If the Crown Prince discovers that he is meeting with his personal maid in secret, will he even survive?
Yun Kui said, "Alas, you don't know, although His Highness the Crown Prince is like a wolf or tiger, ruthless in his methods, and has a bad reputation, but..."
As she was talking, Yun Kui suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
When Li Meng saw the tall, dark figure behind her, his legs went weak and he almost knelt down.
Yun Kui turned around in a daze.
Caught off guard, they encountered the Crown Prince's icy, murderous face.
What did she just say? That His Highness the Crown Prince was "like a wolf or a tiger," "ruthless," and "had a bad reputation"...
"Aaaaaaah, I'm dead!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
