Chapter 13 Heartfelt Wishes What exactly was she expecting just now?
The Feng Dynasty royal family has always had a rule: before officially marrying into the royal family, each prospective princess must live in the palace and be taught royal etiquette, palace rules and taboos by a senior lady-in-waiting, so that she can better integrate into the Jia royal family in the future.
As a result, Bai Lian had no choice but to stay in the palace temporarily. As for when she could return to her residence, it all depended on when she passed the nanny's test.
Although she felt helpless, she had an even more unbearable awkwardness—her tutor, Consort Sun, was openly and secretly asking her to "spend more time with the Crown Prince."
They euphemistically call it "cultivating friendship so that they can live in harmony in the future."
Bai Lian wasn't unaware of this principle, but the problem was, asking her, a young woman, to "take the initiative"...
After much thought, she realized that in her life, apart from her grandfather, father, and brother, there was no other man who had taken the initiative to speak to her.
It was truly difficult for her to swallow her pride and take the initiative to seek out Galo Rin.
Moreover, ever since the palace examination, the eldest prince has always given Bai Lian the feeling that he is extremely cunning, which makes her hesitant to get close to him.
Therefore, no matter how much Sun Shangyi tried to persuade her, Bai Lian only lowered her head and remained silent, determined never to take that first step.
The turning point came one afternoon.
Bai Lian held a round fan and paused by the lotus pond to admire the flowers. She had always loved lotuses, and the lotus varieties in the palace pond were rare and exquisite, and she would often linger there, reluctant to leave.
The early summer weather was fine, and she was in a good mood, but then she bumped into the person she least wanted to see—Shangguan Yaohua, arm in arm with Crown Prince Jia Yunqi. Upon seeing Bai Lian, she deliberately raised her voice:
"Miss Bai, you're in high spirits! There are so many exotic flowers and rare herbs in the palace; I'm sure you've never seen them before."
Bai Lian turned to leave, but then heard the Crown Prince say, "Yao Hua, you mustn't be rude. In a few days, you should be calling her 'Imperial Sister-in-law'."
Shangguan Yaohua chuckled lightly, her words carrying a deeper meaning: "There's still a long time to go. Look at the First Prince, he hasn't even met her many times yet, unlike His Highness and me, who are so close. Who will be your sister-in-law in the future is still uncertain..."
Bai Lian was stunned. The daughter of an official, openly using the word "closeness" in broad daylight, and walking arm in arm with the Crown Prince before even being married?
And the phrase "It's not certain who will be the sister-in-law" was particularly jarring to her.
Bai Lian didn't want to get entangled with Shangguan Yaohua any longer. She bowed to Jia Yunqi and left in a hurry.
Along the way, her mind was in turmoil. She just kept walking with her head down, angry at Shangguan Yaohua for her arrogance and behavior, and also angry at herself for actually thinking that what she said made sense.
Despite the arranged marriage, Galo Lin completely ignored her...
When she came to her senses, she looked up and realized that she had unknowingly walked to the outside of the Prince of Lin's mansion.
The sharp-eyed eunuch guarding the door immediately stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Miss Bai, are you here to see His Highness?"
Bai Lian sighed inwardly. Since she had come this far, she nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your help in conveying my message, sir."
In a short while, she was sitting opposite Galo Lin in the pavilion of the royal palace.
A stream flows gently beside the pavilion, and the early summer breeze rustles through the lotus leaves, carrying a refreshing fragrance.
Bai Lian, however, felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles...
The person opposite them was quite composed, sipping tea and enjoying the scenery, seemingly with no intention of speaking first.
Now that we're here, we can't just sit here idly. Bai Lian clenched her sleeves and finally managed to squeeze out, "The weather is... lovely today."
Before he could finish speaking, he felt so annoyed that his ears burned.
Galorin withdrew her gaze from the scenery and turned to look at her, a smile curving her lips: "The light is beautiful, but it can't compare to Miss Bai..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, watching her unconsciously hold her breath and wait, before slowly finishing his sentence: "...This dress you're wearing is beautiful."
Bai Lian's cheeks instantly burned, and she only wanted to hide back in her Qinglian Pavilion and never leave the house again.
What was she expecting just now?
She considered herself more composed and calm than most women, but this teasing remark threw her into a panic, making it impossible for her to even force a smile.
Seeing that even her neck was flushed, and that she looked down as if she wanted to bury herself in the ground, Galo Lin finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. Her clear laughter echoed in the pavilion and also struck her heart, stirring up a unique emotion.
Bai Lian quickly composed herself and tried to salvage the situation. In her haste, she blurted out, "I haven't seen Your Highness's mother for a long time. I wonder if she is well?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the air inside the pavilion suddenly froze.
The smile on Galo Lin's face vanished instantly, and his gaze turned icy: "Miss Bai," he stood up, his tone distant, "it's getting late, please go back."
After saying that, he left on his own, leaving Bai Lian standing there in a daze.
-
Back at Nieran Palace, Bai Lian was still puzzled, so she finally asked Lady Sun for help.
Upon hearing this, Lady Sun was taken aback, then sighed, "It was my oversight. This matter is taboo in the palace. I hope you will not mention it again."
She lowered her voice and said, "Your Highness's birth mother, Lady Hua, passed away when Your Highness was less than a year old. His Majesty was deeply grieved, but the country could not be without an empress, so he made Consort Yun, who was pregnant at the time, empress. The new empress soon gave birth to the second prince. At that time, Your Highness was the eldest son of the legitimate wife and should have been made crown prince, but unfortunately, his maternal family was weak and had no one to support him. In the end, the position of crown prince was given to the second prince."
Upon hearing this, Bai Lian felt extremely remorseful, realizing that she had unintentionally reopened Galo Lin's deepest wound.
That night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, determined to sincerely apologize to Galorin.
After much deliberation, she finally decided to make a dessert herself. In her memory, whenever her mother made soup for her father, it always helped to ease his worries about court affairs.
The next morning, with the help of Lady Sun, she went to the imperial kitchen. However, once she stood in front of the stove, she realized that she never lifted a finger at home...
Forced by reality, she had no choice but to ask a royal chef to make a plate of exquisite flower cakes. She steamed them by hand, carefully packed them into a box, and hurriedly took them to the Prince of Lin's residence.
Bai Lian was anxious and quickened her pace. On her way to the Prince of Lin's mansion, she bumped into the Third Prince, Jia Xuanyu.
Jia Xuanyu saw that Bai Lian was carrying a box, clearly heading towards the direction of the Prince of Lin's mansion.
"She even brought a gift?" Jia Xuanyu felt a surge of displeasure and stopped her, asking, "Miss Bai, are you in such a hurry to see the eldest prince?"
Bai Lian, her breath still uneven, nodded hastily.
Seeing that her cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes were sparkling, Xuan Yu assumed that she was just a shy and expectant girl, which made him feel even worse. He then turned and left.
Inside Prince Lin's residence, Bai Lian gently pushed a food box towards Jia Luolin, her voice low: "Yesterday, I misspoke; please forgive me, Your Highness. This is a hundred-flower cake I prepared. If Your Highness doesn't mind..."
Her voice trailed off as she spoke, almost as if she wanted to run away immediately.
But then that gentle voice rang out again, melting away all ice and snow: "If you are not in a hurry to go back, would you be willing to stay and have lunch with me?"
Bai Lian looked up and met his smiling eyes, instantly feeling at ease. She nodded happily, "It is my honor."
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