What exactly happened with that red-stained handkerchief?
Xuanyuan Han strode out of Yong'an Palace, but slowed down when he heard Mei Xiyuan calling him.
As soon as Mei Xiyuan caught up, she explained breathlessly, "Your Highness, that's blood from my arm." As she spoke, she revealed a wound on her fair wrist that had not yet scabbed over.
Xuanyuan Han lowered his eyebrows and glared angrily, only glancing at him sideways before quickly looking away.
"Your Highness, if the white handkerchief I present today is truly pure and flawless, what will people say about me in the future? I have traveled thousands of miles from my homeland of Dongning to come to Your Highness's side in Xiqin. How will I establish myself in Xiqin in the future?"
Seeing that Xuanyuan Han remained silent, she continued, "Now that I have entered the gates of the Qin Prince's mansion, this fallen red handkerchief today is a declaration to the world that I am now the rightful and proper Princess Consort of Qin, isn't that right?"
Mei Xiyuan spoke each word with conviction, her heart filled with extreme grievance, yet she had no choice but to bravely utter these words to slightly alleviate the bitterness she had been bearing alone for the past two days.
These words were meant to remind Xuanyuan Han that she, the Princess Consort of Qin, already existed. But at the same time, they were also a message to herself: she must do everything in her power to gain the favor and love of the King of Qin and become a true Princess Consort of Qin.
After hearing Mei Xiyuan's words, Xuanyuan Han was speechless for a moment. He thought that perhaps he was really wrong, wrong from the very beginning.
Although he didn't want to get entangled with her any longer, he also wouldn't let her act recklessly. So, he frowned angrily and said, "I warn you, from now on, you will not be allowed to make any decisions regarding matters concerning the Qin Prince's Mansion without my consent."
Having said that, he hurriedly turned and walked towards the palace gate. After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and, without turning his head, said again, "I heard from Yue'er that you are not feeling well. From today onwards, you will move to Shaohua Pavilion and will no longer need to come to my bedchamber to serve me."
Mei Xiyuan felt as if she had been struck by lightning, but she could only helplessly watch his departing figure. This was only the first day of their wedding...
Seeing Xuan Yuanhan leave, Zhao Mama and the maids dared to rush forward, only to see Mei Xiyuan looking heartbroken. Zhao Mama asked with concern, "Your Highness, what happened?"
Mei Xiyuan felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave in an instant. Heartbroken and speechless, she could only offer a bitter smile.
As soon as Xuan Yuanhan stepped out, he mounted his horse and galloped back to the Qin Prince's residence. At this moment, he felt that the woman in front of him was not as simple as he had thought when he was in the residence earlier. Just how deep was her scheming...?
"Brother Han is back!" Lu Tianjiao greeted Xuan Yuanhan in a soft, delicate voice as he hurried over to greet him as he dismounted.
"Your Highness's wedding is complete, and we are about to return. My father has many affairs to attend to at the academy and set off early this morning," Lu Tianlin said, following closely behind Lu Tianjiao.
"How's your investigation going?" Xuan Yuanhan asked with concern as he walked towards Chenghua Hall.
"With Father here, Your Highness can rest assured, everything is going according to plan," Lu Tianlin replied earnestly.
Just as they were about to reach the entrance of the main hall, Xuan Yuanhan suddenly stopped, paused for a moment as if he had remembered something. He then left with a "speed up" and hurriedly turned onto the corridor towards the rear pavilion, leaving the Lu siblings standing there dumbfounded.
Inside the Yunshui Pavilion of the Qin Prince's Mansion, Yi Shangyun had already awakened. She was now staring blankly at the seven-colored jade bracelet on her wrist, muttering to herself, "Strange, when did this bracelet develop another blood-red pattern? It seems different from the last one."
Upon closer inspection, she saw that the shape resembled a "sun" this time, and the blood-red patterns, just like before, only appeared briefly before disappearing instantly.
She couldn't figure it out after guessing for a long time, so she simply started packing her things to say goodbye and return to the palace.
Hearing footsteps approaching, she quickly turned around to look.
"Your Highness," Yi Shangyun said, bowing respectfully as he saw Xuan Yuanhan enter.
"Why don't you rest a little longer? Your injury is much better." It was clearly a warm expression of concern, but Xuan Yuanhan came in with an icy expression.
"Your Highness, I am much better now. Thank you for taking me in these past few days. I will be returning to the palace now," Yi Shangyun replied timidly when she saw his cold face.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan's face turned extremely gloomy and unpleasant; he was in a very bad mood at the moment.
Just now because of Mei Xiyuan, this woman in front of him is so stupid that she can't feel his feelings at all. She hasn't even offered a word of explanation about being kidnapped yesterday, and she even wants to run away while he's not around.
At this moment, his cold, stern eyes stared directly into her beautiful phoenix eyes. His hands were clenched into fists behind his back for a long time, but he eventually forced them to slowly relax.
Yi Shangyun seemed oblivious to his anger, looking at Xuan Yuanhan with a puzzled expression.
Xuanyuan Han suddenly asked, "Who is he?"
Yi Shangyun asked in confusion, "Him?"
"What, you can't remember after just one night? In that case, I might as well remind you," Xuan Yuanhan said with a seemingly contemptuous and cold tone.
"Spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with you in the market"
"Begonia Valley... your behavior towards you is intimate."
"On my wedding day, you were kidnapped right before my eyes."
As Xuan Yuanhan spoke, he took steps closer to Yi Shangyun, until Yi Shangyun was forced to sit down on the bed beside him with a thud.
Looking into Xuan Yuanhan's sharp yet resolute gaze, she panicked and frantically tried to recall what she was saying. But upon hearing "Begonia Valley," she was immediately overcome with shame and interrupted Xuan Yuanhan, saying, "Your Highness, you..."
Unexpectedly, Xuan Yuanhan still pressed on, leaning closer and staring intently into her eyes. They were so close that he could even hear Yi Shangyun's heart pounding.
Just then, Xuanyuan Han suddenly stood up and said, "Have you remembered my reminder?"
Yi Shangyun stood up timidly, looking flustered, and said, "Your Highness misunderstands. He is just a friend of mine."
"Friends, huh? How laughable! The definition of 'friend' by the Medicine Woman is certainly broad enough. I never knew that women in this world could behave so intimately with their male friends."
This was the first time Yi Shangyun had seen Xuan Yuanhan with a smile on his face, and the tone of the smiling man speaking to her was clearly full of sarcasm.
"Your Highness, his name is Yi Junhao. He is really just my friend," Yi Shangyun began to answer his question in a serious tone, unaware that she had started to care about this man's opinion of her.
After a brief pause, she continued, "Third Young Master is the Valley Master of Hundred Herbs Valley and the head of Hundred Herbs Hall. He always provided me with the immortal herbs I needed, and he has always helped me. He has a bold and unrestrained personality, and his words and actions are just a little eccentric at times. I really have nothing to do with him; it's not what Your Highness thinks at all."
It turned out he wasn't Wei Mingxuan. Once this was confirmed, Xuan Yuanhan finally breathed a sigh of relief and stopped making things difficult for her.
"Yi Shangyun, you are utterly stupid and beyond redemption." Xuan Yuanhan suddenly leaned close to Yi Shangyun's ear and whispered these words before turning around and quickly walking out of the Yunshui Pavilion.
Just as he turned around, he paused for a moment, his eyebrows instantly relaxed, and the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing a very beautiful curve.
Yi Shangyun stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered, unsure of what was going on. Only then did she begin to wonder, "How does His Highness know so much about me? Even about what happened in Begonia Valley..."
Meanwhile, Lu Tianjiao, watching everything unfold from the corner outside the window, had a clear view of what was happening inside. Her brows furrowed, and she was at a loss for what to do.
"Just as I expected, Brother Han's relationship with this woman is definitely not ordinary..." she was thinking to herself when she suddenly saw a little girl walking towards her.
"Sister, are you here to find Sister Yun like Ling'er?" the little girl asked Lu Tianjiao as soon as she approached.
"So your name is Ling'er. You're quite pretty. I just happened to be passing by. Are you familiar with this Sister Yun?" Lu Tianjiao asked Ling'er tentatively.
"Of course! Sister Yun is a very good doctor. She's a wonderful person and the savior of Ling'er's whole family," Ling'er said innocently, looking at Lu Tianjiao with a face full of pride.
"Does Yun'er often come to the Prince of Qin's mansion?" Lu Tianjiao continued to probe the truth from the child.
"Yes, His Highness Prince Qin is extremely kind to Sister Yun'er. Every time Sister Yun'er is injured, it is His Highness Prince Qin who takes her back to the Prince Qin's residence to heal her before she goes home. Moreover, His Highness Prince Qin personally takes care of Sister Yun'er every time she is injured."
"What?" Lu Tianjiao exclaimed in shock. She couldn't believe her ears, but these words clearly came from a little girl's mouth; how could they be false? Every time... has it been a long time?
Seeing Lu Tianjiao lost in thought, Ling'er tugged at her sleeve and then beckoned her to lean down and whisper, "Sister, let me tell you a secret. Everyone in the Qin Prince's mansion originally thought that Sister Yun'er would be the Qin Prince's consort, but they never expected that His Highness the Qin Prince would marry a princess from another country. They really misjudged him."
Finally, Ling'er repeatedly reminded Lu Tianjiao, "Sister, you absolutely mustn't let that Princess Qin know what I'm about to say."
After they finished speaking, Ling'er went straight into Yunshui Pavilion to find Yi Shangyun, while Lu Tianjiao walked towards the front hall, lost in thought as he pondered, "This woman is truly extraordinary. She has completely bewitched Brother Han and even manipulated the entire Qin Prince's mansion."
Lu Tianjiao suddenly stopped and said, "No, absolutely not! How could a mere servant girl be worthy of Brother Han? I cannot lose to such a servile girl!"
Just then, Mei Xiyuan chased Xuan Yuanhan back to the Prince's Mansion. She was already furious, but once she entered the gates of the Prince's Mansion, she had no choice but to put on the airs of the mistress of the Prince's Mansion. She couldn't let anyone see that the glamorous Princess Consort of Qin was actually a resentful woman in the deep palace.
She stopped, took a breath to compose herself, and then, with an air of arrogance, led Granny Zhao and her personal maids toward Shaohua Pavilion, the new bedroom arranged by Xuanyuan Han.
"This humble woman, Lu Tianjiao, greets Princess Qin. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings," Lu Tianjiao said hastily as she saw Mei Xiyuan returning to the mansion from afar.
"Lu Tianjiao, who are you?" Mei Xiyuan stopped but did not recognize the delicate and charming woman in front of her.
Seeing this, Lu Tianjiao quickly introduced herself, "Your Highness, I am Lu Tianjiao, daughter of Lu Xian, the dean of Xiqin Academy, and also His Highness Prince Qin's junior sister."
Lu Tianjiao was indeed clever. She knew that Mei Xiyuan didn't know anyone at the moment, but as long as she mentioned her friendship with the Prince of Qin, Mei Xiyuan would take the bait.
As expected, Mei Xiyuan's expression immediately softened, and she said politely, "So you are His Highness's junior sister. I was rude earlier. Please come in and have a seat."
Lu Tianjiao, the "commoner girl who is also Princess Consort Xie," succeeded in her scheme.
Mei Xiyuan seemed to have run out of ideas and had indeed been unable to find a good solution for Xuan Yuanhan for a long time. At this moment, she actually reached out and took Lu Tianjiao's hands, saying enthusiastically, "What do you mean by 'commoner'? Since you are His Highness's junior sister, we can address each other as sisters from now on. You look a little younger than me, so you can call me 'elder sister' from now on, okay?"
"Since Your Highness Princess Consort Meng does not despise me, then I shall respectfully accept your offer," Lu Tianjiao said gladly.
Once inside Shaohua Pavilion, the two sat down. "Sister Mei, how are you adjusting to life in Western Qin?" Lu Tianjiao asked with subtle concern.
“My sister may not know this, but when I first arrived in Western Qin, I was indeed quite unwell at the post station. However, later, my brother asked His Highness the Prince of Qin to send a female physician to the post station to treat me. We met a clever girl who was quite skilled in medicine. Now I am much better,” Mei Xiyuan said.
Lu Tianjiao looked around at Shaohua Pavilion and said, "Sister Mei is getting married, shouldn't she be staying in Prince Qin's bedroom, Linyue Pavilion? Why did she move here?"
Upon hearing this, Mei Xiyuan's smile froze instantly, but she quickly recovered and said, "Sister, you may not know this, but His Highness is concerned about my health and asked me to stay here and recuperate. That's why I did this."
"If that's the case, then Your Highness is showing mercy to Sister Mei. Your Highness truly dotes on her," Lu Tianjiao said, noticing Mei Xiyuan's unpleasant expression and seemingly harboring some suspicion, but quickly changed his tone to appease her.
At this moment, a maid served tea. The two seemed somewhat embarrassed by their earlier conversation, so they each picked up their exquisite gilded teacups, elegantly lifted the lids, and sipped the tea, tapping the rims together to ease the awkward atmosphere and their mood.
In the courtyard, Yi Shangyun was holding Ling'er's little hand as they passed in front of Shaohua Pavilion, intending to leave the mansion and return to the palace, when Lu Tianjiao, who had just looked up at the window, happened to see them.
Her eyes darted around, and she asked, "Sister Mei, why are there children in the Prince of Qin's residence?"
As soon as Mei Xiyuan entered the Prince's Mansion, she was still unfamiliar with everyone there. She looked up in the direction Lu Tianjiao was looking and saw a familiar figure.
"Is it her?" Mei Xiyuan exclaimed in surprise as she spotted the cloud on the veiled dress. She then got up and walked outside, with Lu Tianjiao following closely behind.
"Woman of the Medicine Clothes, how come it's you?" Mei Xiyuan said with some surprise.
"This servant greets Your Highness the Princess Consort of Qin, may Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings," Yi Shangyun hurriedly bowed.
“I never expected that we would meet again so soon. Weren’t you with Princess Yue? Did Princess Yue come to the palace? Where are you going? And who is this child?” Mei Xiyuan was overjoyed as if she had met an old friend.
“Your Highness, I accompanied Princess Yue to witness the wedding of Prince Qin and Princess. Due to a sudden illness, I was left at the Prince's residence to recuperate. Princess Yue returned to the palace with the Empress last night. I am now fine and am preparing to return to the Imperial Pharmacy. This child's name is Ling'er. She is a pitiful child. Prince Qin is temporarily allowing her and her grandmother to stay at the Prince's residence until her parents return and take her back.”
As Yi Shangyun spoke, he patted Ling'er's little head and answered Mei Xiyuan's questions one by one. Mei Xiyuan then suddenly understood.
"I see," Mei Xiyuan said, reaching out to pat Ling'er's head in a comforting gesture, but...
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