Chapter 6 006 Don't Forget Your Promise
When she arrived at the courtyard gate, Rongde was already waiting under the eaves, bowing slightly with a smile on his face. "Madam, please come in."
"Thank you, Steward Rongde." Rongde was a confidant of the Prince of Dingxi, and he was in charge of all the daily affairs. He held a superior position in the mansion, and even the Princess Consort would give him face. He was also very clever. Among the many concubines in the harem, he knew exactly which ones the Prince of Dingxi liked, which ones were taboo, and how to arrange their nights with him.
She turned around and took the food box from Jiang Yue's hand, instructing her to go down and wait. No one was allowed to enter the study without an imperial edict, and she had Rong De's permission; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to enter the courtyard.
As the curtain fell, Rongde's cold voice came, "Why isn't Jiang Zhao serving the madam?"
Qingli didn't hear what came after that. It was nothing more than that: everyone in the household knew that Rongde liked Jiang Zhao. Even the Prince of Dingxi sometimes jokingly scolded Rongde for being ambitious, but then he promised to send Jiang Zhao over when she came of age. Rongde was over thirty years old, his wife was ruthless, his concubines were vying for favor and fighting fiercely, and he had a bunch of children. He was really like a toad wanting to eat swan meat. He would have to see if she would agree to marry Jiang Zhao. She concealed her thoughts, smiled charmingly, and stepped forward gracefully. She quickly looked around and stopped two steps away from the table and knelt down.
"Your Highness, may you be well."
The room was silent. Sunlight streamed in through the glass window, making it exceptionally bright and warm. The glass was from another region, and there was only one of its kind. Below the window was a long sandalwood desk, with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones neatly arranged on it. On the windowsill, a celadon porcelain vase held three or four plum blossoms, all in full bloom. Beside it, a gilded bronze incense burner emitted fragrant smoke that swirled upwards. The Prince of Dingxi sat in a round-backed chair, his hand resting on the armrest, simply observing her.
After a few moments, Qingli realized that the Prince of Dingxi was still angry with her. She paused, thinking it shouldn't be like that; things had been fine that night. It must be that her rejection that evening had left a lingering resentment in his heart, but it shouldn't have caused her such embarrassment. Resolving this, Qingli, her legs aching, got up on her own, walked over, placed the food box on the nearby table, and gently waved her sleeve beside the Prince of Dingxi, "Your Highness..."
Her voice was sweet and clear, and the King of Dingxi's face was no longer so gloomy. He had never expected that he would also break his promise and go to Lady Ling's place that night. He looked down at her from his high position. Qing Li spoke softly again, and the King of Dingxi stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his arms. She immediately suppressed her subconscious tension and obediently leaned on his shoulder. Her eyes were looking at the table. To the right of the desk was a black lacquered square cabinet with gold taotie patterns, the same height as the desk.
There was a keyhole lock hanging above, so Meng Qingshan didn't open it. She glanced at it deeply, then turned her gaze away, slightly rose, and asked nervously, "Your Highness, are you angry?"
The question made the Prince of Dingxi laugh out loud. Seeing her tilting her head and looking at him with a puzzled expression, the Prince of Dingxi felt relieved. Suddenly, he felt that there was no point in competing with her. The atmosphere in the room relaxed, but Qingli's body became more and more stiff because her hand had already landed on her waist, and she was resisting it uncontrollably.
"Your Highness?" Rongde called out from outside the door. Hearing no response from inside, he tentatively raised his voice and called again.
"Enter."
Rongde hurriedly bent down and entered the room. He glanced up at the man standing below and secretly felt that he had ruined the prince's plans. But thinking of the Rakshasa outside the courtyard, he whispered, "Your Highness, General Meng's men are waiting outside the courtyard. They reported that the stolen property from the prince's residence was found in the black market in the city. General Meng is returning to the residence immediately and requests that you come over to discuss this matter."
The Prince of Dingxi glanced at Qingli, who had her head bowed. His burning desire had not yet subsided. He coughed awkwardly and, seeing her sit down on the armchair outside, got up and walked ahead.
Rongde was startled. He hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the wide-open door and the guards outside. In the end, he followed her out. Qingli's hand, hidden under her sleeve, clenched unconsciously. The key inside became hot and damp. She tried her best to breathe softly, closed her eyes to suppress her panic, and opened them again, her mind clear and calm.
The sound of greetings came from outside the courtyard. Qingli had already returned to her armchair. The guard leaned over and peeked into the house, just in time to see her get up and go outside.
"Your Highness, may you be well."
"Where is the Prince?" Madam Jiang entered the courtyard and saw Qing Li standing at the door. She pursed her lips and stared at her with disdain.
The maid Qiu Zhi immediately stepped forward, her face full of indignation, and pointed at Qing Li, shouting, "How dare you! This is a serious place, the study, not a place where just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come in."
There were no maids in Zhuqing Garden, only guards. The guards knelt down to apologize. The princess clasped her hands together, her gold-inlaid jade nail guards exuding an air of authority. Her eyebrows were raised. Her appearance was not good. She and the prince had been husband and wife since childhood and shared a bond of childhood sweethearts. Her heart was entirely devoted to the Prince of Dingxi. She followed him thousands of miles away from the capital. But seeing one concubine after another enter the courtyard, her heart was gripped tightly. Especially the person in front of her. The prince disregarded the words of his advisors and subordinates and took her in at will. She knew that the prince held Qingli in the deepest part of his heart.
Qingli curtsied and then stood up, thinking that Jiang Zhao must have asked for soup in the kitchen and the maid had informed the princess. She stepped forward with perfect manners and said, "The prince has gone to the front courtyard, so I will take my leave now."
The princess had already walked past her as if she didn't exist. Qiu Zhi wanted to say a few more sarcastic remarks, but she only glared at her hatefully before following her into the study. The guards couldn't stop them at all and could only watch helplessly as the group of people entered the important study.
Qingli led Jiang Yue slowly back. When they reached the corner, a person suddenly appeared. He had dark skin and his deliberately lowered voice trembled, "Miss Qingli."
Qingli gave him what was in her sleeve, and the man clasped his hands in a fist salute and prepared to leave.
"Tell him not to forget what he promised."
Sunlight streamed through the dappled branches, illuminating her radiant face and scattering her complex and hidden emotions. She watched as the person nodded and quickly disappeared, then slowly walked back to Peach Blossom Pavilion.
"Madam?" Jiang Yue called out with heartache as she looked at the sorrowful expression on Madam's face. Seeing that Madam remained silent, Jiang Yue thought of the past and felt a tightness in her throat, hoping that they could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Two hours later, a commotion broke out in the front yard. Ying Shui entered the house with a pale face, patting her chest and saying, "The prince was furious and whipped a group of maids and guards."
Yingyue exclaimed, "Do you know why?"
Ying Shui shook her head, still shaken, and said, "I wouldn't dare go near."
Jiang Yue and Jiang Zhao exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and went about their business in silence. The only sound in the room was Yingyue's voice, "Then what were you doing in the front yard?"
Yingshui shyly nudged Yingyue and whispered, "The old women in the kitchen were gossiping, saying that the generals living in the front yard needed rations, so I secretly went over to check."
"They're gone?" Jiang Yue asked abruptly.
Yingshui paused for a moment, then nodded. "I only saw their backs; I reckon they've already left the gates of Yanmen City."
The sound of a teacup falling to the ground came from upstairs. Jiang Yue frowned and turned to go upstairs. Jiang Zhao scolded her, "Hurry up and get busy. This has nothing to do with us. If you hear any more gossip, send it to Rongde."
The two maids got up in fear and said they would never do it again. Jiang Zhao chased them out and followed them into the house. Jiang Zhao stood by the window to observe the situation outside, while Jiang Yue stood in the house looking at the lady with some helplessness.
Only a slight pain enveloped Qingli, while her heart remained numb. Looking again, she saw that her body was covered in blood, a combination of new and old wounds. She suddenly sneered, her eyes cold and icy, as if she had walked barefoot into icy water, her whole body already stiff and numb.
Qingli suppressed the pain and quickly calmed down. Her eyes were red. She let out a long sigh and tried to speak, but she couldn't stop trembling. Jiang Yue rushed forward and took her hands in her hands. She found them cold and quickly called Jiang Zhao to bring her a hand warmer.
"Madam, don't be afraid, I'm here."
Qingli looked at the two through the mist. Yes, they were facing one challenge after another. She couldn't panic. With her mind calming down, she nodded heavily. A tear fell onto the back of her hand, burning her as if it were on fire, making her flinch. "We'll adapt to the situation."
"yes."
Soon, rapid footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, followed by Rongde's voice, "Madam, the Prince requests your presence."
The window was opened, and Jiang Yue leaned out. "Steward, has the Prince said anything?"
"Then this servant would not know." Rongde took a step back and happened to see half a person in front of the window. He chuckled twice, clearly just to be polite. "Let's hurry up and dress Madam Ru."
Inside the Bamboo Green Garden, Madam Jiang heard the dull thuds of sticks striking flesh outside, and her heart skipped a beat. Her ashen skin, tinged with gray, trembled as she carefully offered the teacup beside her. "Your Highness..."
The Prince of Dingxi glanced at Madam Jiang with a gloomy expression, then looked away in disgust. This sight stung Madam Jiang's eyes, causing her to redden and her nails to dig tightly into her palms. It was her fault; she had acted arrogantly and brought people into the study, and now that things had been lost, she could not escape the responsibility.
"Madam has arrived," Rongde announced from outside.
The next instant, Qingli appeared in the room with her hair loose and without any makeup. Her black hair reached her waist, and a red cloth was loosely tied behind her. Her skin was delicate and her figure was well-proportioned. Her white clothes were elegant and serene, and she truly looked pitiful.
The Prince of Dingxi paused, looking slightly hesitant.
Madam Jiang lowered her brows and scolded in a low voice, "You were alone in the study today, a place of great importance. Have you forgotten the rules?!"
Qingli swayed, her already cold face paling even more. She glanced timidly at the Prince of Dingxi, and seeing his sharp gaze, she panicked, hesitating to speak, unsure how to explain.
"Speak!" Seeing Qingli and the Prince of Dingxi exchanging glances in front of her, Madam Jiang slammed her hand on the table and scolded, "Don't think that just because the Prince dotes on you, you can be lawless and cause trouble."
This was clearly leading her to her death. Qingli looked at the princess, knelt down first, her slender body trembling slightly with anxiety as she tried to explain, "Your Highness, please understand, I... am..."
Qingli looked around the room, her composure already shaken by the bright lights. Madam Jiang was delighted, but the Prince of Dingxi's face darkened, staring at her suspiciously. He thought about how Madam Jiang had always been treacherous, outwardly submissive but actually plotting to escape the palace, and even feigning compliance with him. Today, he was pleased that she had taken the initiative to see him. If it was truly her doing, he wondered whose orders she had followed!
Qingli's eyes widened in an instant, and a layer of mist instantly welled up with tears. She stood up blankly and headed towards the desk, but a sharp pain shot through her wrist. Large tears rolled down onto the back of Dingxi King's hand. Dingxi King tightened his grip, and Qingli couldn't bear it and bent over.
Jiang's eyes shot coldly at Qingli, "Kneel down, you ungrateful wretch! The Prince favors you so much, and you repay him with such a heartless act!"
The words were crude and offensive, the doors and windows were wide open, and the courtyard was deathly silent. Jiang Shi poured out the words that had been weighing on her heart, lost in self-satisfaction, completely unaware of the furrowed brows of the Prince of Dingxi.
Qingli was silently weeping. Following her gaze, the Prince of Dingxi noticed that the food box she had brought during the day was now askew, and the box had somehow ended up on the square table. The Prince of Dingxi's eyes narrowed; he hadn't left here.
The situation changed in an instant. Qingli noticed that the Prince of Dingxi had noticed that spot, so she lowered her head and sobbed softly. In her heart, she was calculating that the Prince of Dingxi was not easy to fool. If the Princess Consort investigated this matter strictly, she would really not be able to get away with it. However, the Princess Consort was ruthless to her and would definitely take this opportunity to punish her. Moreover, during the day, the Princess Consort saw her sitting leisurely in the study, and the rules that she regarded as the highest standard were completely ignored by her. How could she not be blinded by anger?
Jiang Zhao's shouts in the kitchen, the princess's jealousy, and Qiu Zhi's bullying—nothing could be accomplished without any one of them. Right now, everything is in chaos, and it remains to be seen how the Prince of Dingxi will judge the situation.
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