Chapter 20. Preparing to return to Beijing.
When Yongkang came excitedly to find Daiyu, he ran into Chuheng, and the two siblings bumped into each other at the courtyard gate.
Chu Heng was the first to challenge: "Have you finished copying the Book of Rites?"
Yongkang raised his right hand and waved it in front of Chu Heng's eyes: "Fifth Brother, look, do you know how many characters are in the Book of Rites?"
"You can't even finish copying those few words in a day? You're clearly slacking off. Go back and keep copying now," Chu Heng said coldly. "Add two more copies and hand them in before evening class tonight."
Yongkang said, "Not now, I need to talk to Sister Lin."
Chu Heng asked, "What business do you have with Miss Lin?"
Yongkang covered his left sleeve: "I'm not telling you!"
As they were talking, Daiyu came out of the courtyard with several maids and smiled at them, saying, "Is the feng shui here so good that the prince and princess insist on talking here?"
Yongkang quickly went over and took Daiyu's hand, whispering, "Sister Lin, I have something good. Let's talk about it quietly and not let Fifth Brother know."
Daiyu smiled and said, "Princess, you're putting me in a difficult position. I have an appointment with the Prince at this hour."
Upon hearing this, Yongkang was about to make a joke, but then he remembered that he had not yet finished copying the Book of Rites, so he quickly shut his mouth.
Chu Heng took two steps forward and asked with a smile, "What good stuff is it? Tell me about it."
Yongkang shook his head: "No way, you're going to tell on me again!"
"I won't tell on you," Chu Heng promised. "I'll keep it a secret."
Yongkang asked doubtfully, "Really?"
Chu Heng smiled at Daiyu: "Miss Lin can be my witness."
"Huh?" Daiyu looked at him blankly.
Chu Heng blinked innocently: "Miss Lin, are you unwilling?"
Daiyu chuckled: "Alright, I'm willing to be your witness, Your Highness."
Chu Heng was momentarily lost in thought, unable to look away from Daiyu's smiling face.
Yongkang gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, saying, "Fine... come in with me."
As he spoke, Yongkang pulled one person by the hand and led them into the inner room of the house.
Chu Heng coughed lightly, turned his head away to cover up his earlier lapse in composure, but soon couldn't help turning his head back to look at Daiyu.
After they were seated, Daiyu instructed Zijuan to pour water and tea, while Yongkang took out a bulging purse from his sleeve.
Startled by her commotion, Chu Heng glanced at her and was immediately amused and exasperated: "What are you hiding? It looks heavy..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yongkang pulled out a piece of dried meat: "Look! What's this!"
"You..." Chu Heng was speechless for a moment. He didn't expect her to be so bold. She came to worship Buddha with the Empress Dowager and even dared to secretly bring dried meat.
Daiyu hurriedly covered the dried meat and purse in Yongkang's hands with her handkerchief, trying to hide them: "Princess, this can't be seen by anyone!"
Yongkang chuckled and said, "That's why I said we should do it quietly!"
Daiyu: "..."
Chu Heng: "..."
"Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart." Yongkang argued vehemently, "I'm not a Buddhist disciple, nor have I killed any animals within the Buddhist community..."
Chu Heng rubbed his forehead and said, "Shut up."
Yongkang pouted and reluctantly swallowed the rest of her words. She lifted Daiyu's handkerchief and tried to taste the dried meat she had been holding.
Daiyu quickly grabbed her hand and asked, "Princess, do...do you have any more?"
Yongkang said with a worried look, "I didn't expect the vegetarian food to be so hard to swallow, so I only brought two packs, and now there's only half a pack left."
She ate more than a bag herself, and since they still had two days before returning to the palace, she brought the rest to share with Daiyu…
Ultimately, it was the princess's heartfelt intention, and Daiyu was somewhat moved, considering that she didn't even consider her own brother.
However, as the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since you are in a temple, you should abide by the local customs. This is the proper way to be a guest.
Daiyu would never eat meat.
"That's good." Chu Heng reached out and took all the dried meat for himself. "I'll keep it for you and give it back to you when we get back to the palace."
Yongkang's eyes widened: "Fifth Brother, you said you wouldn't tell on me..."
Chu Heng said, "I won't tell on you, but you're not allowed to steal food again."
Yongkang looked at Daiyu with a mournful expression: "Sister Lin, please help me too."
"Thank you for your kindness," Daiyu said, "Princess, I won't eat either."
Yongkang slumped his shoulders, then looked at the two of them expectantly after a moment: "Just one bite, just a tiny bite, it's very delicious!"
Chu Heng and Daiyu both shook their heads: "No!"
"It's really f..." Yongkang swallowed the four words that almost slipped out, lest he not only miss out on the meat but also have to copy the Book of Rites twice more.
Husband and wife follow each other's lead! Wife and husband follow each other's lead!
Breathing out of only one nostril!
Chu Heng said, "We'll be returning to the palace in two days. Once we get back, you can eat as much as you want without anyone stopping you."
Yongkang went back to copy the Book of Rites in a huff, while Chuheng and Daiyu stared at each other in bewilderment at a package of dried meat.
After a long pause, Chu Heng said, "This girl is really..."
Daiyu said, "At least no one knows, Your Highness, please keep it safe."
Chu Heng handed it to Zhao Qing and instructed, "Hide it well, don't let anyone see it."
Zhao Qing bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness, rest assured."
Chu Heng thought of Yongkang and couldn't help but shake his head again. The scene before him reminded him that he was currently in Daiyu's room.
Yongkang and the dried meat were instantly forgotten by Chu Heng. Wait... how did he end up in Daiyu's room?
Before today, Chu Heng had never even stepped into Daiyu's courtyard. How did he manage to... enter her room without her noticing?
A familiar, faint fragrance wafted through the room. Chu Heng's limbs were almost numb. He stood up, leaning on the table, his voice unsteady: "Miss Lin... it's time to go... let's go."
Daiyu looked at him with a puzzled expression: "Hmm... I mentioned yesterday that we were going fishing today." At this point, she suddenly smiled, "Luckily, the princess didn't know we were going fishing, otherwise I don't know how we would have ended things today."
Chu Heng clearly couldn't immediately grasp the meaning of Daiyu's words. He gave a stiff smile, but managed to speak clearly: "Miss Lin, let's go."
Daiyu nodded, slowed down slightly, and followed behind Chu Heng. Looking at his uneasy posture, she was very puzzled. What was wrong?
Why has Prince Duan been acting so strangely these past couple of days?
After thinking for a moment, Daiyu realized that there was nothing wrong with their relationship. The Empress Dowager thought they were getting along well and stopped interfering in their affairs—or perhaps she was too busy with the affairs of the eldest and second princes to pay attention to them.
Overall, everything is fine.
Prince Duan may have some other matters on his mind, Daiyu concluded, and that they were not people who could talk about anything.
A breeze blew from behind, carrying a delicate fragrance to Chu Heng's heart. He paused, for it was the same fragrance from Daiyu's room.
It turned out to be the scent of Daiyu.
The thought crossed Chu Heng's mind, and he blushed instantly, standing frozen in place, at a loss for what to do.
Seeing this, Daiyu asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Chu Heng didn't dare to look at Daiyu even once, for fear of disrespecting or disrespecting the young lady. He turned his head away and stammered, "No...nothing."
Daiyu became increasingly puzzled and inevitably became curious: what could it be?
Unfortunately, Daiyu knew she couldn't ask.
...
Yongkang was unhappy for two days, but finally the Empress Dowager set off to return to the palace.
Their luggage had been packed the day before. Daiyu and Chuheng had to go to the palace with the Empress Dowager first, and then return to their respective residences. Thinking about another day of travel, Daiyu gave up her favorite fishing activity the day before, and just sat and rested.
“Temple really does nurture people.” Daiyu looked at the distant mountains shrouded in mist and clouds and couldn’t help but sigh, “I feel much better lately, I haven’t felt this light in years.”
She then looked at Chu Heng: "I think Your Highness's complexion is better than before, and he must feel more comfortable, right?"
Chu Heng thought of Master Pingyi's words, but he couldn't say it to Daiyu, so he could only nod and smile, "The scenery and environment of this mountain temple are so good that people feel comfortable here, so naturally it's good."
Daiyu said with some regret, "It's just that I have to leave now."
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Longhua Temple is not far from the capital. If Miss Lin wants to come in the future, just send someone to let me know. She can come anytime." Fearing that she might feel uncomfortable being alone with him, Chu Heng added, "I will ask Yongkang to come and keep you company."
Thinking of Princess Yongkang's act of hiding dried meat, Daiyu couldn't help but laugh.
After Chu Heng finished speaking, he also remembered this matter and laughed.
Yesterday's laughter was still vivid in his mind, and today they had to part. Chu Heng looked at Daiyu with reluctance.
Zhao Qing, watching from the side, softly comforted his master: "Your Highness, it'll only be a few months before Miss Lin arrives at the manor..."
For Chu Heng, this was clearly not a word of comfort.
Chu Heng didn't think Daiyu would be happy about marrying into the royal family; perhaps she would rather that day come later, much later.
Chu Heng sighed softly. Seeing that Yongkang was still holding Daiyu's hand and talking, he couldn't help but step forward and interrupt, "Alright, Yongkang, stop bothering Miss Lin. Go to your carriage."
Yongkang stuck out his tongue at him, then said to Daiyu, "Sister Lin, once I've asked Mother to bring you into the palace, we can play together every day. Also, you must come on my birthday!"
"Yongkang, don't make decisions for Miss Lin so easily," Chu Heng said. "If she has agreed, then you should go and ask Mother."
Yongkang said discontentedly, "Fifth Brother, you're so annoying! Sister Lin will agree to my request, won't she, Sister Lin?"
Daiyu smiled apologetically: "Thank you for your kindness, Princess, but it is not convenient for me to enter the palace at the moment."
Not to mention that she would have to perform the six rites upon returning to the capital, given Daiyu's current status, it would be acceptable for her to enter the palace to accompany the princess, but it would be too restrictive. Moreover, the situation in the palace is complicated, and Daiyu doesn't want to enter the palace from the bottom of her heart.
Yongkang said dejectedly, "You don't want to?"
Although Daiyu felt that Princess Yongkang was being unreasonable, the situation was quite awkward, and she couldn't very well ask the princess to do anything. So she was about to say something to ease the tension when Chu Heng spoke first.
"Yongkang, why do you want to invite Miss Lin to the palace?" Chu Heng suddenly asked.
Yongkang, not understanding why, said bluntly, "Of course I like playing with Sister Lin."
"You like her, but you want to make things difficult for her?" Chu Heng asked her.
Yongkang was immediately stunned.
Daiyu was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but look at Chu Heng, who was solemn and serious.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
