Chapter 14 The secret will come in time; there's no need to rush...
At lunchtime, Bailian and Jialuolin sat facing each other and ate.
Galo Lin picked up a piece of Hundred Flower Cake and examined it with a smile: "Miss Bai has excellent skills. The color, aroma and taste of this pastry are almost identical to those I tasted at the Imperial Banquet." She then took another bite and savored it carefully.
Bai Lian lowered her eyes, her voice barely audible, "Your Highness is too kind..."
Seeing her embarrassed expression, Galo Lin's smile deepened: "I didn't expect that you, young lady, are not only so skilled at playing the pipa, but also so adept at cooking." With that, he took another piece.
Bai Lian began to feel a slight heat at the base of her ears, and lowered her head even further: "Your Highness is too kind..."
Galo Lin noticed that she hadn't touched her chopsticks and asked with concern, "Don't you want anything, Miss? Are you feeling unwell?" As she spoke, she naturally picked up a piece of pastry.
Bai Lian hurriedly said, "No, no, that's not true."
Galorin examined her flushed cheeks, her tone becoming increasingly gentle: "Your complexion is so rosy, are you perhaps feeling unwell?"
Bai Lian: "…………"
This lunch was arguably the most unsettling meal Bai Lian had ever eaten in her life.
After the meal, Bai Lian was about to take her leave when her attendant, Lv Liu, stepped forward to ask, "Your Highness, shall we continue the martial arts practice this afternoon?"
Galorin waved her hand: "Not necessary today, Miss Bai is here..."
The words "practicing martial arts" struck her like a thunderbolt, and Bai Lian, who had been listless just moments before, immediately brightened up and became energetic.
She gazed at Galorin's tall and straight back, then suddenly stood up and gently placed her slender hand on his shoulder.
Meeting his surprised gaze, she smiled brightly and asked in a sweet voice, "When Your Highness practices martial arts, may I watch and learn from you?"
Galo Lin and Green Willow were both taken aback, and were even more surprised when they realized that she wanted to have a friendly spar.
They were now in the courtyard. Galorin stood in the shadows of the trees, pointed uncertainly at herself, and gave them a questioning look.
Standing in the bright sunlight, Bai Lian radiated vitality, and she nodded solemnly.
Before long, Green Willow brought two long swords.
The moment she held the sword in her hand, Bai Lian felt an indescribable sense of security.
Her love for weapons grew day by day, and although she never thought about the reasons in detail, she always found endless enjoyment in them.
At first, Galo Lin was willing to yield. He remembered that Bai Lian was the granddaughter of General Changsun, so it wasn't surprising that she knew some martial arts, but women are ultimately weaker, and he naturally couldn't harm her in the slightest.
However, after a few moves, he gradually realized that Bai Lian's swordsmanship far exceeded his expectations. Surprised, he put aside his complacency and began to take the fight seriously.
The two played two rounds in a row, but neither could gain the upper hand.
Green Willow watched in disbelief, and the servants of the Prince's mansion who had gathered there at some unknown time were also speechless—even the head instructor of the Imperial Guards was inferior to their Prince's martial arts skills, yet this young lady was able to suppress him at every turn.
After a long while, amidst the clashing of swords, Jialuolin suddenly turned around to avoid Bailian's straight thrust, and took the opportunity to leap up and strike, finally finding the right moment to knock the sword out of her hand.
After several exchanges, Galorin finally won by a narrow margin. His informant hadn't told him that the future queen's martial arts skills were so formidable.
He summoned a maid to wipe Bai Lian's sweat. After their fight, Bai Lian looked radiant and became more talkative: "Your Highness's martial arts are superb; I humbly admit defeat!"
She was secretly delighted; she had found such a good sparring partner even after leaving her maternal grandfather's mansion, and she certainly couldn't let him go easily.
Galo Lin smiled gently and said softly, "Miss Bai has truly impressed me."
He had never won so hard in his life, and his opponent was none other than his betrothed princess. This girl was no ordinary woman.
Bai Lian smiled sweetly: "I would like to ask Your Highness for more guidance in the future!"
Galo Lin's lips curled slightly as he looked at her with deep eyes, his words carrying a hint of affection yet also a hidden meaning: "That's natural. But... swords have no eyes, we have a long future ahead of us, there's no need to rush."
A silent contest has quietly begun between the two.
As evening approached, Bai Lian stayed for dinner. A guard hurried over and whispered a few words in Jia Luolin's ear.
Galo Lin's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "Go back and tell the people outside that if the two families cannot handle their own affairs, they should go to the palace to see the Emperor. The Lin Prince's Mansion will not interfere."
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The next morning, Bai Lian got up early, eager to finish the lessons assigned by Consort Sun. However, looking around, she couldn't find any of the palace maids who usually served her. She was displeased, but then she heard whispers coming from the corridor outside.
She quietly approached and hid behind the wall, only to hear two palace maids whispering to each other.
"Have you heard about what happened last night?" a voice asked, sounding slightly nervous.
“Of course I know. Have you forgotten which household my cousin works for?” another voice said, tinged with excitement.
"Tell me quickly, I overheard it by chance from Xiao Cai in Yu Jin Palace, and it scared me half to death."
"Last night, three..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind? Even Xiao Cai doesn't dare to talk to me much..."
Bai Lian's curiosity was piqued, and she continued to listen intently, holding her breath.
"Alas, only we servants could see and hear it all firsthand. My cousin told me that at first they thought the two princes were just joking, but who knew they would actually take it seriously!"
Another gasped in shock: "No wonder I heard that the guards from the two prefectures ended up fighting each other!"
"Indeed! Prince Yu is seriously injured and remains unconscious. Several imperial physicians have been changed. After such an incident, I wonder how His Majesty will rule."
"Alas, who doesn't know that His Majesty favors his youngest son the most, and how illustrious is the Liu family, the mother of Prince Yu! Prince Zhang is merely His Majesty's nephew; his parents died early, and His Majesty adopted him as his son. What do you think can be the verdict?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Lian, who was behind the wall, suddenly remembered the guard who had come to see Jia Luolin yesterday evening, and immediately understood seven or eight parts of the situation.
Since it involved the Prince of Lin's residence, she wanted to find out the truth.
She quietly retreated back into the hall. Not long after, the two palace maids also returned. As soon as they entered, they saw Bai Lian smiling at them.
"Is it your place to gossip about the taboos in the palace? You've probably been talking too much and forgotten your own duties!" Bai Lian toyed with her fan, her tone cold and icy.
The two palace maids were so frightened that they immediately knelt down and begged for mercy: "We know we were wrong! Please spare our lives, Miss Bai!" They kowtowed repeatedly.
Bai Lian watched coldly until their foreheads were bruised from kowtowing, then slowly spoke: "If you want to live, tell us everything you know. But if even the slightest thing about what happened today is leaked..." She smiled slightly, "I have my own ways to make things difficult for you."
A palace maid raised her head and said in a trembling voice, "I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"
A note from the author:
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