Chapter 165 Gloomy Man
In the blink of an eye, it is the end of the month and the Wanshou Festival.
The palace was decorated with lights and filled with music and singing.
In the Golden Palace, all officials came to congratulate and shouted "Long live the emperor."
Lu Bing sat high on the dragon throne, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe. He looked radiant and energetic. He didn't look like he was already in his fifties. Instead, he looked like a child again.
He accepted the flattery of his ministers with complacency. His eyes swept over Qin Xiu, He Ning, Xun Chen and others who were respectfully offering gifts at the steps. He felt that he was in control of the world and could expect eternal life.
As He Ning's fiancée and the future Crown Princess of Zhenbei Palace, Jiang Qingning accompanied He Ning into the palace to celebrate his birthday.
She was dressed in an elegant palace dress that suited her status and had exquisite makeup, but it couldn't hide the coldness deep in her eyes.
Jiang Qingning looked at the emperor sitting on the dragon throne, whose face was flushed but whose eyes revealed a hint of vanity and excitement, and his sneer in his heart became even stronger.
Beneath this youthful appearance of thirty years old lies a decaying inner capsule that is quietly being eaten away by erysipelas.
"Qingning." An apologetic voice sounded softly beside him.
Jiang Qingning glanced sideways and saw that it was Shanyang Princess Li Youwei.
She was dressed brightly today, but the look she gave Jiang Qingning was filled with genuine guilt.
He Ning comforted the people around him, "I heard that you two are good friends. Go ahead. The princess must have something to say to you."
Jiang Qingning nodded: "I'll go out for a while."
After she finished speaking, she and Li Youwei walked side by side out of the hall and came to a quiet rockery.
"I was a bit extreme a few days ago," Li Youwei whispered sincerely. "I thought about it for a long time after I got home."
"You...it's really not easy. You've shouldered so much on your own over the years, facing such groundless criticism and accusations from those people in the capital, yet you've still made it this far...I apologize for my impulsive words before."
Jiang Qingning looked at Li Youwei's clear and open eyes and was silent for a moment.
She had seen too many hypocritical faces, and Li Youwei's apology was rare and sincere.
She nodded slightly, her voice calm, "My princess, your words are too serious. There's no need to talk about the past."
Seeing that she didn't reject him, Li Youwei's eyes showed relief and joy. She took her arm and said, "Then we... are still friends?"
"Um."
Jiang Qingning responded softly.
In this thrilling palace, a sincere ally is always better than a potential enemy.
The two walked together to a relatively secluded corridor to chat.
Li Youwei no longer mentioned Qin Xiu, but only talked about interesting stories in Beijing and the scenery of Lingnan. Jiang Qingning also rarely relaxed his tense heartstrings.
"I heard that your brother was a military commander with great military achievements in his youth. He was a very brave young man. I'm afraid he was even more heroic than Qin Xiu."
"The princess likes military commanders?"
"Who doesn't like a hero who defends his country? I've wanted to marry a hero since I was little, but to be honest, I was afraid my mother would break my legs, so I never dared to say it."
Li Youwei stuck out her tongue mischievously, with a cunning glint in her eyes.
Jiang Qingning laughed in silence: "Actually... my brother is more like a civil official. He is handsome and elegant, wearing a white robe. When he stands there, he looks like someone in a painting."
Li Youwei's eyes lit up: "Now that your brother is back, you must invite me to play with you. I have never seen such a handsome man."
When Jiang Qingning thought about the future, he couldn't help but smile gently.
"Okay, when my brother comes back, I will definitely invite you to play every day, and I will also ask my brother to treat me and my little sister to go to Baiweizhai for snacks!"
Not far away, Qin Xiu and Cheng Yan stood quietly under the shadow of a lush wisteria trellis.
Cheng Yan looked at Jiang Qingning and Li Youwei, who were chatting and laughing in the corridor, and then looked at his friend's deep gaze, which was always fixed on Jiang Qingning. He couldn't help but sigh:
"Are you unwilling?"
Qin Xiu's gaze remained fixed, his lips tightly pursed. After a long moment, a response escaped from his throat: "...Hmm."
“Then why…” Cheng Yan was puzzled.
With Qin Xiu's current power and status, if he really wants to force it, he may have a chance.
Qin Xiu's voice was low and firm, "Helping her fulfill her wish is more important than my unwillingness."
Chengyan looked at the deep affection and forbearance in his friend's eyes, which eventually turned into a long sigh, and he could no longer say any words of comfort.
The two stood in silence for a moment, like two statues blending into the night, and finally turned and left quietly when no one was paying attention.
Jiang Qingning chatted with Li Youwei for a long time and was about to leave the corridor to look for He Ning when a deliberate voice suddenly interrupted.
"Qingning."
Xun Chen came over at some point.
He was wearing a brand new crimson court robe, which made him look very high-spirited. He had a smug smile on his face and looked at Jiang Qingning with burning eyes, with undisguised possessiveness and showing off.
The position of Deputy Chief Censor made him feel that he had crossed the huge class gap and finally had the status to stand in front of her.
Xun Chen thought that the only difference between him and He Ning was age. He Ning was even just a young boy.
On the day of the arranged marriage, Qin Xiu had already completely lost to He Ning and no longer had the qualifications to fight him.
"The Wanshou Festival palace banquet is really lively and exciting. I have been an official for many years, but I have been away from home for flood control all year round. This is my first time to attend the Wanshou Festival in the palace."
"I haven't seen you for a long time. Can you see the changes in me?"
Xun Chen deliberately took a step closer, trying to get closer. "It's been a while since we last met. Qingning is even more elegant than before. Could I have a moment to talk?"
He glanced at Li Youwei with a hint of suggestion.
Jiang Qingning paused.
She slowly turned around and her eyes fell on Xun Chen's face which was full of pride.
His eyes were calm, as if he was looking at an eyesore stone on the side of the road, with condescending disregard.
She didn't even bother to say a single word, but simply withdrew her gaze indifferently, as if the person in front of her was just a piece of invisible air, and nodded slightly to Li Youwei beside her, "Princess, let's go."
After saying that, she took Li Youwei's arm and walked straight past Xun Chen. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, bringing a slight cool breeze. Not even the corner of her eye stayed on him for a moment.
The smile on Xun Chen's face froze instantly, and then became extremely ugly, as if he had been slapped hard in the face in public.
He was promoted and became the emperor's new favorite. He thought that she would look at him differently, but what he got in return was even more complete indifference than before.
This feeling of being trampled on made him more furious than any insult, but it also made the unfulfilled desire in his heart grow more wildly.
He stared at the departing backs of Jiang Qingning and Li Youwei, with obsession surging in his eyes.
"Jiang Qingning, you will definitely regret what happened today." Xun Chen gritted his teeth in hatred.
Just as he was about to leave, a dignified and graceful figure quietly appeared in front of Xun Chen and blocked his way.
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