Chapter 109 Eldest Sister, Save Me!
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet finally came to a close in a subtly tense atmosphere. Everyone took their leave in turn.
Just as Mu Cenlin was about to leave with Li Bao'er and Li Yu, a eunuch rushed over and said respectfully, "Your Highness Prince Jing, the Emperor requests your presence in the Imperial Study, saying that he has important matters to discuss."
Mu Cenlin frowned slightly and subconsciously looked at Li Bao'er, his eyes filled with unease.
Li Bao'er smiled reassuringly at him, gently squeezed his hand, and whispered, "Go on, Father must have important business to discuss with you. A-Yu and I will wait for you in the carriage first. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Seeing her calm expression, Mu Cenlin felt a little relieved and nodded, "Okay, I'll be right back. You wait for me in the car." He then glanced at Li Yu, "Take good care of your sister."
Li Yu immediately puffed out her chest: "Brother-in-law, don't worry!"
Watching Mu Cenlin's departing figure, Li Bao'er couldn't help but gently nudge Li Yu with her elbow, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "Oh, our A-Yu is calling brother-in-law quite smoothly now, isn't she? I remember someone used to be so critical, calling Mu Cenlin 'that guy' all the time?"
Teased by his sister, Li Yu's wheat-colored cheeks flushed slightly. He scratched his head sheepishly, his eyes darting around, and stubbornly said, "That's all in the past! It's his fault for always making you unhappy, Sister! Now... now he seems alright, and he's not bad to you either. I, Li Yu, am a reasonable person, so naturally I've changed my tune!"
As he spoke, as if to prove something, he added, "And the way he protected you in the palace just now was quite...handsome." The last two words were spoken so softly they were barely audible.
Looking at her younger brother's awkward yet honest demeanor, Li Bao'er felt a warm glow in her heart and couldn't help but reach out and ruffle his hair: "Alright, alright, our A-Yu is the most sensible. Let's go, let's go to the carriage and wait for your decent brother-in-law."
The siblings chatted and laughed as they slowly walked out of the palace.
Night had fallen, and the palace lanterns swayed in the wind, casting flickering light and shadows that made the vermilion palace walls appear somewhat eerie.
The clamor of voices gradually faded away, leaving only the whistling of the wind blowing through the palace eaves and the clear sound of footsteps, which sounded particularly abrupt on the empty palace road.
Li Yu was still excitedly chattering about what had just happened in the hall. Li Bao'er listened with a smile, but a strange, inexplicable unease swept through her heart, as if something was watching from the shadows.
Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the shadow of a rugged artificial hill nearby!
The figure moved with ghostly speed, bringing with it a chilling wind, and rushed straight to Li Bao'er's feet!
"Ah!" Li Yu cried out in fright.
Before Li Bao'er could even see clearly, she felt something cold and tightly hug her calf! The force was so great that it almost pulled her down!
"Eldest sister! Eldest sister, save me! Please, save me!"
Li Bao'er was startled, and upon closer inspection, she realized it was Li Yan!
At this moment, Li Yan looked completely different from her appearance at the palace banquet. Her hair was disheveled, and there were still wet tear stains and faint red marks on her face. She tilted her head back, her face was bloodless, and her eyes were filled with extreme fear and despair. She clung tightly to Li Bao'er's leg as if grasping at the last straw.
"Elder sister! I was wrong! I shouldn't have treated you like that before! Please, have mercy and take me out of the palace! I don't want to be the Crown Prince's concubine anymore! I'll die! I'll really be tortured to death by them!" Li Yan cried so hard that her body trembled uncontrollably.
"The Empress... Her Majesty the Empress makes me learn etiquette on the surface, but behind my back she beats and scolds me all the time. The Crown Prince... The Crown Prince is even more terrifying! He takes his anger out on me when he's in a bad mood, there's not a single good spot on my body!" She sobbed incoherently, instinctively wanting to roll up her sleeves to show Li Bao'er, but then shrank back in fear, shaking her head desperately, "That's a place that eats people! If I stay any longer, I'll really die! Elder sister, please, for the sake of us both being surnamed Li, save me this time!"
Li Yu was stunned by the sudden situation and instinctively stood in front of Li Bao'er, watching Li Yan, who seemed to be insane, with vigilance.
Looking at her once spoiled and willful half-sister who had always opposed her, Li Bao'er felt a mix of emotions as she watched her sister being tormented into such a miserable state.
Although she disliked Li Yan, she never imagined that she would fall into such a predicament. Those Crown Prince and Empress are truly perverted.
Seeing Li Yan's inhuman, ghost-like state, Li Bao'er couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. She was about to bend down and try to help Li Yan up from the ground to get some answers.
A chilling voice, like a venomous snake slithering down one's back, slowly echoed from behind:
"Is Princess Jing going to meddle in this matter?"
Li Bao'er froze, slowly straightened up, and turned her head.
Suddenly, Crown Prince Mu Chen appeared silently not far away, standing with his hands behind his back.
The dim light from the palace lanterns illuminated his face, highlighting his excessively pale skin and his unfathomable, chilling eyes.
Mu Chen's lips curled into a half-smile. His gaze first swept over Li Yan, who was trembling on the ground, instantly falling silent as if she had seen the King of Hell, and desperately shrinking behind Li Bao'er. Only then did his gaze slowly fall on Li Bao'er's face.
"Who in the capital doesn't know that Princess Jing and your half-sister have never gotten along?" Mu Chen's voice was gentle. "Isn't her current behavior exactly what the Princess wants? Why are you pretending to be so affectionate with her sister?"
He took a step forward, the oppressive aura emanating from him making the surrounding air feel sinister: "Or is it that the Princess Consort wants to take this opportunity to show off her magnanimity and virtue, so as to further highlight how I, the Crown Prince, mistreat my future concubine?"
Li Bao'er met Mu Chen's sinister gaze and sneered inwardly. The Crown Prince was determined not to let her take Li Yan away, and even wanted to turn the tables on her.
Her expression remained unchanged; she merely gave a slight curtsy, her tone calm and even: "Your Highness, you flatter me. Bao'er merely noticed that my younger sister seemed unwell, and it would be improper for her to collapse here, lest she disturb His Majesty's presence. Therefore, I wished to offer her assistance. As for the minor squabbles between sisters in the past, they are but trivial matters of the inner chambers, how could they be compared to matters of life and death? Since Your Highness is so concerned about your future concubine, you must have already summoned the imperial physician, have you?"
"What a sharp-tongued Princess Jing! Li Bao'er, now that Mu Cenlin is not here, why do you need to pretend to be so hypocritical?" Mu Chen approached the two siblings with a cold smile, and Li Yan, who was hiding behind Bao'er, almost screamed.
She had finally managed to escape his clutches during the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, but that old man Li Xiangyuan didn't care about her life or death at all. He even told her to grit her teeth and endure it. Endure it? What a load of crap! If she endured it any longer, she would really die!
Having no other options, she placed her chance of survival on Li Bao'er.
Mu Chen was irritating. Bao'er felt that he was too gloomy and gave her goosebumps. She didn't want to waste her breath on him, so she bent down and pulled Li Yan up, intending to leave.
Mu Chen's eyes flashed with even more malice. He was already burning with anger because of the repeated setbacks he had suffered at the palace banquet today. Seeing Li Bao'er like this now, both old and new grudges surged into his heart. Especially when he saw her lively and beautiful face, and thought of how Mu Cenlin had protected her, a vicious thought suddenly arose.
He suddenly took a step forward, reaching out to pinch Li Bao'er's chin: "This Crown Prince is curious, what kind of bewitching potion did you give Mu Cenlin to make him so devoted? Why don't you let this Crown Prince have a taste too..."
This action was frivolous and insulting. Li Bao'er's expression changed, and she was about to back away when Li Yu was so angry that he was about to rush forward!
"Your Highness!"
A gentle voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Mu Chen's actions.
Suddenly, the Third Prince Mu Yuan appeared beside the palace road. He quickly stepped forward and subtly blocked Li Bao'er and Mu Shen, bowing to Mu Shen and saying, "Brother, this is the palace road, where people come and go. Please be respectful."
Mu Chen's hand froze in mid-air as he looked at Mu Yuan, who had suddenly appeared. His face was so dark it could drip water: "Mu Yuan? What are you doing here meddling in other people's business?"
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