Although it was winter, there was no wind, and the sun was shining brightly, warming everyone and making them feel like their bones were melting. In addition, there was going to be a wonderful play in the palace, so everyone felt that this was the happiest thing in life.
Finally, amidst the flickering lights, the time for the performance to begin was drawing ever closer.
At this moment, in the brightly lit and spacious Qingxin Palace, Yi Shangyun, who had now returned to her original red dress, frowned deeply, pouted, and lowered her head slightly. With a displeased expression, she kept twirling a silk handkerchief with her two slender fingers, pleading, "Your Majesty, Yun'er will stay here in Qingxin Palace and take good care of everything for you. Can't we go to the theater together?"
Not far away, the King of Dongning, who looked to be in good spirits and good mood all day, stretched out his broad arms, letting several servants carefully tidy up his clothes.
Upon hearing what he said, the rare smile on his face suddenly vanished, and he asked with great confusion, "You don't want to go to the theater to watch a play? Why is that? Do you know that the performers invited to the palace tonight are all very rare and famous artists? And the palace is rarely so lively. You really don't want to go and see such a rare opportunity?"
Yi Shangyun hesitated for a moment, but still insisted, "Actually, ever since the day the Emperor told Yun'er that there would soon be a good show in the palace, Yun'er has been thinking about it. Knowing that there will be many people watching the show today, and thinking about suddenly being exposed in front of so many unfamiliar faces, Yun'er, Yun'er still thinks it's better not to join in the fun, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble!"
Upon hearing this, the King of Dongning raised his voice and said domineeringly, "What trouble could there be in watching a play? Besides, I am the Son of Heaven, the master of this vast Dongning Imperial Palace. With my protection, let's see who dares to question you in the slightest. 'Trouble'... In my entire life, I have never been frightened by trouble! On the contrary, I am quite curious to see who dares to be so bold as to have any wicked thoughts about the people around me?"
Despite saying this, Yi Shangyun remained hesitant, seemingly still extremely worried: "But..."
The King of Dongning, however, seemed impatient for this long-awaited spectacle.
Now clad in a majestic dragon robe, fully prepared, he waved away the servants and impatiently interrupted her, saying, "Alright, alright, there's no 'but' about it. Considering the effort I put into preparing this red dress for you, why don't you accompany this lonely old man to the opera as a way of thanking him? Actually, to be honest, with you by my side these past few days, for some reason, I feel unusually peaceful. I haven't felt this way in a long time, as if I've returned to the days when she was here..."
As he spoke, he suddenly paused, as if lost in some unforgettable and beautiful memory from the past. Then he looked steadily into Yi Shangyun's eyes and continued, "I... like the feeling of having you by my side."
As the King of Dongning spoke, he reached out his warm hands and took Yi Shangyun's hand, just like a loving father taking his beloved daughter's hand. The two of them stepped out of the threshold of Qingxin Palace together.
"Alright, come on, come on, you don't need to think about anything. It's rare to have such a beautiful sunny day. Tonight, you'll come with me to enjoy a good opera. It's going to be a great show! I guarantee you won't regret it after watching it..."
As she was led along, Yi Shangyun hesitated and refused, saying, "But, Your Majesty, Yun'er really..."
Meanwhile, at the palace gate of Mei Zhixuan.
Under the flickering candlelight, Mei Zhixuan and his guards had prepared a sedan chair early in the morning and had been waiting at the palace gate since sunset.
The guards seemed to be getting quite impatient, pacing back and forth and glancing into the palace gates countless times.
Finally, she couldn't help but speak up, urging Mei Zhixuan, "Your Highness, didn't Her Majesty already send word that she's not feeling well today and can't accompany you to the opera? It's almost time, and if we don't leave soon, we might miss the start of the performance. We just received word that the Emperor and Empress have already departed! If we're late, I wonder how Her Majesty will scold us!"
However, Mei Zhixuan seemed completely unconcerned and indifferent. After a moment of silence, he simply said in a low voice, "Wait a little longer..."
Upon hearing this, the guard's anxiety instantly increased without diminishing, but he seemed to have no other options.
Just then, Xuan Yuan Yue, dressed in a royal blue palace gown, exuding elegance and grace, slowly emerged from the palace gates with several maids carrying palace lanterns, and walked towards the two of them.
Upon seeing her, the guards were overjoyed and exclaimed in surprise, "She's here! She's here! Your Highness, the Third Imperial Consort has come out!"
Upon hearing this, Mei Zhixuan immediately broke into a wide smile, turned around abruptly, and strode towards her. He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, saying joyfully, "Yue'er, you've finally come! I knew you would come."
However, Xuan Yuan Yue only glanced at the large, powerful hand that was resting on her shoulder, then suddenly tilted her body slightly to deliberately avoid it, and explained nonchalantly, "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. Everything Yue'er did was just to keep Father from worrying about Yue'er, not because of Your Highness."
Seeing this, Mei Zhixuan awkwardly withdrew his hand and silently hid it behind his back. The smile on his face gradually faded, and finally, he forced a helpless smile at the corner of his mouth and said, "It's okay. As long as Yue'er is happy, that's all that matters!"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Yue suddenly turned serious and slowly looked at that face that was once so familiar but now felt completely unfamiliar. She stared at it for a while and asked, "Does Your Highness still remember a sentence you once said to Yue'er?"
Upon hearing this, Mei Zhixuan suddenly stopped.
Xuanyuan Yue said, "His Highness once said to Yue'er, 'Holding your hand, we will grow old together. With music and harmony, all is well.'"
Mei Zhixuan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He remained silent, recalling the moment he had confidently uttered those words, and a mix of emotions welled up within him. In the end, he simply nodded slightly and hummed softly, "Yes, of course I remember!"
Xuan Yuan Yue's lips curled into a faint smile, a smile that seemed both melancholic and nonchalant. She smiled coldly and said, "So, when two people are young and deeply in love, they can always look at each other without getting tired of each other. Who would have thought that they would end up being cold-hearted people? How can they grow old together..."
After these words were spoken, there was an immediate silence.
Xuan Yuan Yue stared blankly into Mei Zhi Xuan's eyes for a long time, but Mei Zhi Xuan remained silent and did not say anything more. Xuan Yuan Yue's eyes and heart were filled with disappointment.
Perhaps, for many days, she had been deliberately ignoring him under the pretense of staying in her son's courtyard, just waiting for him to say something. Whatever it was, she would believe him as long as he spoke.
But he didn't say another word.
Finally, Xuan Yuan Yue closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to enter the spacious sedan chair that Mei Zhi Xuan had prepared for her.
The guard immediately raised a hand and said, "Lift the sedan chair!"
The group hurriedly headed towards the theater.
Pear blossoms bloom, spring rain falls.
Pear blossoms fall, spring sinks into the mud.
Under the cover of night, in the magnificent palace theater, the audience below the stage was noisy and the stage was filled with people dressed in red, white, and powdered makeup, their flowing sleeves dancing gracefully.
No matter how wonderful the performance on stage was, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yi Shangyun couldn't concentrate on the performance and felt extremely uncomfortable.
Seated beside the King of Dongning was his Queen, dressed in a magnificent and elegant gown. Her maids and old nannies would occasionally cast strange glances at her.
And then there's the Second Prince, Mei Zhihao. From the moment he appeared in the theater, his attention was initially entirely focused on Xuan Yuan Yue.
Without her noticing, the gaze had shifted to herself, and she seemed unable to retract the malicious smile directed at her and the probing of her body, which she found utterly repulsive.
Furthermore, now that she had clearly gotten her wish, Xuan Yuan Yue, who was now a complete stranger to her and had an indifferent expression, sat quietly with Mei Zhi Xuan from the moment they sat down, without exchanging a single glance.
With just a little attention, it's easy to see that they must have had some serious conflict.
In fact, apart from the faces she had seen in the Qingxin Hall over the past few days, it seemed that everyone else was pointing at her and gossiping about her, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
...
In this environment, she felt as if she could barely breathe.
Standing beside the King of Dongning, feeling as if she were on pins and needles, she finally couldn't help but lean down slightly and whisper in his ear, "Your Majesty, it's better if Yun'er doesn't stay here..."
As soon as Qi Liao opened her mouth, the King of Dongning, who had been beaming with delight, suddenly turned to her and glared at her fiercely. He then ignored her and continued to look at the stage with great interest.
For a moment, she had come up with a whole host of reasons to beg to leave, but suddenly she couldn't utter a single word.
After much deliberation, she gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and made a silent decision: "What's done is done! What's meant to be will be.
Having prepared themselves mentally, they joined the others in settling down to enjoy the wonderful performance on stage.
After a long pause, the King of Dongning suddenly asked her without turning his head, "Do you know what the play on stage tonight is about?"
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