Chapter 383 Luo'er, are you concerned about me?
As the sound came, Pei Zixuan froze, turning her head in disbelief to look behind her.
It's...it's actually true?
This time, it's actually true!
A group of people slowly rode out of the forest.
Princess Xiyue looked down at him and patted his head.
And beside her were none other than the Crown Prince, Prince Su, and the Crown Princess.
Behind them followed a large entourage of servants and guards, carrying a considerable amount of prey.
When exactly did so many people appear?
Why was it that no one heard them make a sound just now?
Did they hear the whole story?
Pei Zixuan's expression changed slightly, and then she heard Princess Xiyue say with a happy expression, "Oh."
"Look, I've seen quite a show today."
"Consort Jing, you wouldn't do something as disgusting as stealing someone else's prey just for the Empress Dowager's hairpin, would you?"
"Wasn't the fourth daughter of the Pei family known for her gentleness, virtue, and intelligence when she was still a young lady?"
"Such despicable behavior is not worthy of you."
They heard it!
I heard it from the moment she tried to take the deer!
Pei Zixuan's face turned completely pale.
She looked at the Crown Princess.
She then looked at the Crown Prince in a panic.
At that moment, she felt like a rat in a ditch, caught and exposed to the scorching sun.
The secret she held most dearly...
The longing and yearning of a young woman in the past are now exposed to the public without any means of concealment.
What humiliated her most was that the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince's wife were also there!
How would they view themselves?
Will the Pei family be implicated because of my mistake?
Pei Zixuan couldn't help but look at the group of servants and see the way they were staring at her.
dislike.
nausea.
disgust……
hatred……
These gazes, like nails, pinned her firmly to the pillar of shame.
"Xi, Xiyue, you've misunderstood."
"I...I was just joking with them, how could I really do such a thing?"
"With so many people and so much talk, I don't have the ability to silence everyone."
She explained with a weak smile.
However, his pale words and expression led very few people present to believe him.
Princess Xiyue bluntly exposed her pretense: "Consort Jing, you wouldn't still be hung up on the Crown Prince, would you?"
"Otherwise, why would they keep targeting the eldest daughter of the Pan family?"
"Could it be... that you're jealous of her?"
Xi Yue stared at Pei Zixuan with a half-smile.
"Back then, when you remained unmarried for so long, your Pei family's plan... was it really not for you to enter the palace and become Father Emperor's concubine?"
Pei Zixuan trembled all over, and her whole body was about to collapse.
Although she tried her best to hold herself together, her panicked expression betrayed her.
"I don't……"
Crown Prince Duan Rongyin frowned and said, "Elder sister, this is not a joke."
Although he had long understood that the Pei family had kept Pei Si Niang in order to offer her to him.
But now that she is in her father's harem, the crown prince has no romantic feelings for her whatsoever.
Moreover, if this matter were to reach the Emperor's ears, it would surely create a rift between father and son.
The Crown Prince wanted to avoid such a losing proposition as much as possible and just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
However, the way he looked at Pei Zixuan couldn't help but carry a hint of disgust.
Nanping, with her sharp eyes, suddenly pointed to something on the ground and asked, "Huh? What's this?"
She lunged forward and picked up something that had fallen at Pei Zixuan's feet.
A white, openwork crescent-shaped jade pendant.
The Crown Princess's expression immediately changed.
"Your Highness, you...!"
Others may not recognize it, but the Crown Princess and Prince Su definitely do!
This was a token that Emperor Yan bestowed upon the Crown Prince at a family banquet a few years ago. Only those who were close to him could receive this item!
But how could something so intimate be in Pei Zixuan's hands?
The Crown Princess immediately concluded that the Crown Prince and Consort Jing were indeed having an affair.
The incomprehension and disappointment in her eyes made the crown prince feel suffocated.
"I have no idea what's going on! Your Highness, you must believe me!"
The Crown Prince's explanation only earned him a series of disappointed shakes of his head from the Crown Princess.
Pei Zixuan was also terrified when she saw this.
"No...it's impossible..."
She couldn't understand how this thing ended up on her.
Cui Shiyi Niang: "This...isn't this the thing that Pan Li and Princess Qinyu fought over by the lake that night?"
"How could this be...?"
Cui Jiuniang quickly covered Cui Shiyi Niang's mouth.
In an instant, everyone who heard these words had a completely different expression.
Including the crown prince.
The Crown Princess, Princess Xiyue.
Only Prince Su's eyes kept piercing through the crowd, landing on Li Qingluo, who was still kneeling on the ground.
He seemed completely unconcerned about the jade pendant they were fighting over.
But the crown prince was in a state of utter panic.
This item was indeed the token of love he gave to Qinyu.
Did Qinyu lose this item?
That's bad enough, but how could it be found on the Emperor's woman in the end?
The crown prince was naturally furious.
If this matter continues to escalate, I'm afraid I'll never be able to clear my name with this Consort Jing.
In order to prevent the misunderstanding from spreading further, the Crown Prince's face immediately fell.
He spoke forcefully, his eyes filled with disgust, and shouted, "Guards! Consort Jing is a noble concubine of the harem; how dare she wander around this hunting ground?"
"Hurry up and send her out to be taught by the Empress!"
The guard stepped forward: "Yes!"
Pei Zixuan cried out, "Your Highness, I'm innocent... I'm innocent!"
"How dare you! Release me! I am the mistress of this palace, I am His Majesty's Consort Jing!"
"Mmm, mmm—"
Pei Zixuan's mouth was forcibly covered, and she was dragged away in a disheveled state.
The absurd farce seems to have come to an end.
But the crown prince felt a vague unease in his heart.
The most closely guarded secret lies between Zongzheng Yu'er and him.
Hopefully, Cui Shiyi Niang's words just now did not arouse suspicion among these people.
"Miss Pan, Eleventh Sister Cui."
"At the palace banquet that night, I was still at the Nanshan Villa. How could your family's squabbles have dragged me into it?"
"I have truly suffered an undeserved calamity."
"I hope you can clear my name and deliver justice. Do you understand?"
Cui Shiyi Niang and Pan Li both lowered their heads tightly.
"Your Highness is innocent."
"It was our daughters who were being foolish. We beg Your Highness's forgiveness."
A faint killing intent flickered in Crown Prince Duan Rongyin's cold eyes.
If they dare to spout nonsense, he wouldn't hesitate to silence them all...
"Get up."
Duan Rongshi swept past the crowd, his gaze landing on Li Qingluo, and suddenly spoke in a low voice.
Because of their low social status, no one paid any attention to them, and they were still kneeling on the ground.
Li Qingluo pulled Pan Li to thank Prince Su first, and then slowly got up.
Duan Rongshi looked at Zhuiyu: "Go, bring their horses over here."
Princess Xiyue was annoyed: Oh no, I didn't even notice that Li Qingluo was still kneeling on the ground.
Hopefully, her petty fifth brother hasn't held a grudge about this...
"Miss Li, I didn't know you had such amazing archery skills!"
"Unfortunately, I have searched all over the place but have not yet found the bear I wanted to present to my father."
"But I also hunted some good things. However, I only managed to hunt them with the help of the Crown Princess's archery skills. I didn't expect you to hunt a deer all by yourself. You are truly skilled!"
"Ha ha……"
Xi Yue thought to herself: Little Wu, Little Wu, your older sister praised your sweetheart, you can't be angry.
Li Qingluo: "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I was just lucky to encounter this deer."
"If it were Her Highness the princess who encountered this deer, she would surely be able to capture it easily."
"I would like to offer this deer to Your Highness, wishing you all the best and that all your wishes come true."
Xi Yue was both surprised and delighted.
"You...do you really intend to offer yourself to me?"
Li Qingluo: "Yes, we should thank Her Highness for upholding justice for us today."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a bear's roar echoed from afar.
There were also screams of terror from others.
Then someone covered in blood ran out of the woods on the other side of the river.
"raging--"
"Run!"
Xi Yue was overjoyed: "Great! This is the bear I've been looking for!"
"Quickly, everyone, follow me to kill this bear! Present it to Father Emperor!"
Princess Xiyue raised her arm and shouted, but first nodded to Li Qingluo: "Since Miss Li is so sincere, then I will not stand on ceremony."
"This deer, I, the princess, will accept it today!"
Their eyes met, and everything was understood without words.
After saying that, she didn't linger. She had her people carry the deer over, and then led everyone away again in a grand procession.
Before leaving in haste, the Crown Prince also gave Li Qingluo a deep look.
He only turned around when he noticed that his fifth brother had not followed them, but had slowly driven his horse to the woman.
Pei Zixuan was taken away just like that.
Sha Wu and Cui Qilang also returned to their respective groups.
Apart from Cui Shiyi Niang, who was still in shock, the other two members of the Cui family remained calm.
Cui Shiyi Niang: "Ninth Sister, what will we do when we go back?"
"If Father knew that it was because of my careless words that Consort Jing was harmed... I... I'm afraid I won't be able to live!"
"Ninth Sister, I'm scared... mmm..."
This time, the honest and straightforward Cui Shiyi Niang was truly frightened.
Cui Jiuniang: "You didn't say anything."
"It's because she couldn't keep her composure."
"Because her selfish desire to covet His Highness the Crown Prince was exposed, the Eldest Princess, His Highness the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess witnessed her indecent behavior and her filthy thoughts."
"What does this have to do with you?"
"Whatever the outcome, she has brought this upon herself and cannot escape it today."
"Got it?"
Cui Shiyi Niang nodded repeatedly, remaining silent as if trembling in fear.
Cui Qilang looked at Princess Nanping, hesitating to speak.
However, Nanping no longer paid any attention to him.
She simply turned her face away coldly.
A hint of melancholy couldn't be hidden in Cui Qilang's eyes.
Li Qingluo nodded to Cui Jiuniang, and the two smiled at each other.
Cui Jiuniang: "Let's go. We should get out of here."
After saying goodbye, the three of them left in a hurry.
Duan Rongshi: "Would you like to see how they hunt bears?"
Duan Rongshi asked Li Qingluo in a low voice.
Princess Nanping, oblivious to everything, eagerly answered first, "Yes! Fifth Uncle, let's hurry and catch up with Mother and the others!"
"If we don't go now, we'll miss out on all the excitement!"
Pan Li pulled Princess Nanping forward quickly, saying, "Quick, let's go first."
Princess Nanping: "Why? Hey—don't be in such a hurry—"
"Slow down—"
Nanping was pulled onto a horse by Pan Li and they rode off first.
Li Qingluo: ……
The sparrows and the others consciously walked far away.
In an instant, only Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi were left around.
Li Qingluo then slowly climbed onto his horse, and the two rode side by side, leisurely heading towards the place with the stone bridge.
"Your Highness, I heard you wiped out the river bandits. Were you unharmed?"
Duan Rongshi: "Who can harm me?"
The words had already left his mouth when he suddenly smiled again: "Luo'er, are you concerned about me?"
Li Qing blushed.
He readily admitted, "...Yes."
Duan Rongshi's heart immediately stirred.
He reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her along with a skillful touch.
Li Qingluo then sat on the horse in front of him.
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