The storm is coming (correct)
After reading it, Si Pei turned around and faced the maid, and just missed the barely perceptible eerie smile on her face.
Ningyue looked calm as she held the plate of pastries in her hand and was about to walk towards the more crowded places in the garden. However, before she had taken two steps, Si Pei called her over.
"Stop, come back."
Ningyue paused, and then handed the pastries to Si Pei with great trepidation.
Si Pei glanced at the delicate and skillfully arranged pastries in front of him, his brows furrowed.
"Your Highness..."
Ningyue's voice trembled, her eyebrows drooped, and she looked very scared. The arm holding the plate was trembling slightly. She asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, would you like to try this cake?"
Si Pei's eyes were gloomy. He silently raised his hand, picked up a piece and put it to his nose, but he didn't show any intention of eating it.
"Oh."
The young man smelled the origin of the unusual fragrance.
Queen Dowager Xuan really tried her best to disgust him. If she couldn't do it openly, she would do it secretly. She even sent someone to deliver the pastry with Baixin Xiangyun filling.
This dessert hadn't been prepared in the imperial kitchen since Empress Yue's death. Initially, the emperor, mourning Empress Yue, forbade it, nor anyone else from tasting it. Later, when Si Pei came to power, he grew so disgusted with it that he even specifically instructed the Imperial Household Department to ban even Bai Xinxiang from the palace.
This pastry was Yue Jinge's favorite during her lifetime, and it was a must-have on her daily table. Everyone in and outside the palace knew that Empress Yue loved Baixinxiang, and she would only wear clothes soaked in a spice made from Baixin and Xiangyun.
For Yu Sipei, every time he smelled this scent, it meant that the woman was back, and what was even more terrifying was that she was about to start torturing him again.
One time he remembered vividly was when Yue Jinge locked him in a dark room. He panicked and developed a high fever, and was in a coma for a whole day and night.
When he finally came to, he could only hear the emperor sternly reprimanding Yue Jinge for her dereliction of duty as a mother. But the words were insincere, not a single word tangible; at best, they were just the same warning as before.
Everyone knew the truth, but they all kept silent and chose to stand by and watch his situation.
Yue Jin Ge gently lifted the sickly young man Si Pei from the bed and held him in her arms, pretending to comfort him: "Don't be afraid, Li Hong. It's just that your mother was too careless and didn't notice that you were alone in the wing room."
After saying this, he turned around and glared at the kneeling maid: "Are all of you who took care of the prince dead? Drag them away and beat them to death!"
The old nanny stood up tremblingly, her cloudy and kind eyes still staring blankly and reluctantly at Si Pei, who also had a sad expression.
"Father, Mother, please calm down..." Si Pei was heartbroken, but he tried to show a self-blame on his face. "This matter has nothing to do with Madam, nor is it the fault of Mother. It was just that I was too playful... I hid in the side room and fell asleep alone."
"You kid, why are you so playful!"
Queen Yue followed his words and changed the subject, just like a mother scolding a playful child: "Don't do that again next time. I will be worried."
Si Pei remained silent, letting her press him tightly in her arms. Her sharp nails almost dug into his skin, but he still silently accompanied Yue Jin Ge in performing this scene of loving mother and filial piety.
From that moment on, he hated Yue Jin Ge and the lingering scent of Bai Xin on her body.
The funeral of Queen Yue was also handled by the Eastern Palace when she passed away. Si Pei also performed the drama of the deep mother-son love between him and Yue Jin Ge to the end. The funeral procession was filled with white smilax flowers, and Queen Yue's coffin was also sprinkled with white smilax flowers.
After Queen Yue's coffin was buried, he returned to the Eastern Palace and vomited for a whole day.
Three years have passed since then, and he has not come into contact with any Bai Xinxiang.
The Queen Mother Xuan then took out Bai Xinxiang to scare him, her intentions obvious. She was afraid that the cakes didn't come from the already subdued De Shou Palace, but from the still struggling Lin Wang Mansion.
Si Pei sneered and threw the pastry in his hand back onto the plate.
"If the Queen Mother likes it, please give all these cakes to her."
"yes."
Upon hearing this, the palace maid nodded hurriedly, bent over and walked away quickly.
"Your Highness, there's no need to be angry. The Queen Mother is just trying to make trouble because she saw you brought her back."
Si Pei glanced sideways, without commenting.
Queen Dowager Xuan was a shrewd woman, otherwise she would not have had the last laugh in the late emperor's harem. She also turned a blind eye to the affairs of Queen Yue back then. Now that it was so obvious, she must have foreseen what he was going to do.
"Go to the imperial kitchen and check all the dishes again. Also... replace all the pastries that the empress dowager ordered." Si Pei's gaze fell on the bright smile of a girl standing under a pear tree not far away. "Replace them with pear blossom pastries."
"yes."
Eunuch Rong received the order and quickly ordered them to go to work. Si Pei stood quietly where he was, his eyes never leaving the two men.
"I've never seen you take the Spring Festival Banquet so seriously in previous years. Why did you think of dressing up this year?"
Jing Yao was pleasantly surprised but also a bit puzzled. Zuo Yuanwu had never been one to pay attention to his appearance, nor did he pay much attention to palace banquets. In the past, he had always treated banquets as a formality, putting on his black military uniform, paying his respects, eating, and then leaving.
According to Zuo Yuanwu himself, these banquets were mainly for making friends and blind dates, but he did not like making friends and had no plans to associate with girls, so he avoided the trouble of dealing with other people.
"Why, is there a girl you like here this year? You came so early! Where is she? Do I know her?"
Jing Yao was getting a little excited when he talked to himself. Zuo Yuanwu's ears turned red when he was asked, and he stammered, "No... no. It's not that... There are other things. I need to come earlier."
After hearing this, Jing Yao's thoughts turned and he immediately understood.
"I know everything, everything." She raised her eyebrows and glanced in Si Pei's direction.
Si Pei, standing in the pavilion, stared at the two of them with resentment. Jing Yao couldn't help but burst out laughing. Turning back to Zuo Yuanwu, he joked, "Then why didn't you answer my question when I asked you why you're dressed so well?"
Zuo Yuanwu didn't know where his attention had drifted to, but he suddenly scratched his head and smiled innocently: "As long as the young lady thinks it looks good, then I'm very happy."
"Are you wearing it just for me to see?"
Jing Yao laughed and joked, but Zuo Yuanwu's cheeks turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Before Zuo Yuanwu could reply, Jing Yao reacted first and said to Si Pei, "Then on the day of my wedding to Si Pei, you have to dress even better than today."
She turned around and looked at Zuo Yuanwu, whose expression was already dazed, with a smile.
"Why are you so stunned? Don't be reluctant to leave me, your lady. This is the culmination of all these years of entanglement. You should be happy."
As Jing Yao spoke, she couldn't help but sigh. The fate and love and hate of her past life and this life were intertwined, which destined the cruel fate between her and Si Pei to be inseparable.
"Miss, have you really made up your mind?" Zuo Yuanwu stood behind the girl, looking at the pretty figure, wanting to say something but stopping himself. In the end, he could only ask this question lightly.
“…I think so.”
Jing Yao's heart suddenly trembled violently for no apparent reason. Was it because of panic? It didn't seem to be the case.
She knew it clearly and she was willing.
"Miss, I think you should listen to your heart on this issue." Zuo Yuanwu caught her momentary hesitation and advised her carefully and sincerely, "Perhaps you are saying you are willing now, but you just think you have no choice."
"That's not true, Brother Yuanwu." Jing Yao didn't know why, but he subconsciously wanted to deny what he said.
Isn't it because there is no choice...?
Si Pei kept her by his side, and she really accepted this kind of life.
From the day she was reborn, she decided not to play the boring game of escaping and being caught with Si Pei, this crazy guy with no bottom line. Maybe she was just trying to please him at the beginning, but until today, she couldn't even tell how much true love there was in it.
Therefore, she also knew that Si Pei didn't care.
"He just wants me to stay with him."
Jing Yao looked up and saw a sky full of snow-white pear blossoms, rustling and fluttering. She held out her hand, revealing a rare tenderness. "There's nothing wrong with this. Besides, I like him very much."
"Just because you like someone, can you gamble your whole life on it?" Zuo Yuanwu frowned. "Miss, you have liked so many people, why..."
"Zuo Yuanwu."
Jing Yao suddenly called out his full name, and the man was stunned for a moment before he realized that he had just spoken out of turn in front of the young lady.
Jing Yao was not as angry as expected. Instead, he turned around and grabbed Zuo Yuanwu's sleeve: "Now I am the only one left in the Jing family. I am all alone in the world, and you are the only one around me who is still related to the Jing family. You are different from me and others. You will always be my brother Yuanwu."
Jing Yao's personality is not cheerful and generous. His true feelings are always hidden in his heart. He rarely expresses anything seriously to others, especially to Zuo Yuanwu.
In the eyes of others, they were just a pair of master and servant in the past. Even though Jing Yao had been so harsh in the past and didn't want to acknowledge Zuo Yuanwu's position in her heart, she still had a place for him in her heart.
So when Zuo Yuanwu heard this, he was stunned in surprise at first, and then when he came to his senses, joy and bitterness filled his heart.
Jing Yao finally gave him emotions, but they were not what he wanted.
There was too much of herself in her heart, making it hard to accommodate others. Si Pei was the rare exception.
Only at this moment did she realize that she had actually fallen in love with Si Pei a long time ago, and no one could compare to her.
"Thank you, Yuanwu!"
She weakly embraced the man in front of her, and Zuo Yuanwu let her move in his arms, neither trying to stop her nor having the courage to raise his arm to hug her back.
"Miss, as long as it is your decision, I will definitely support you."
Jing Yao smiled and nodded: "Yeah!"
Turning around, they saw someone who looked decent but was actually looking at them with gritted teeth.
Jing Yao winked at him playfully, and just as he was about to say goodbye to Zuo Yuanwu, two uninvited guests suddenly appeared in front of him.
Still wearing a disgusting smile, Si Jue put away his folding fan and played with it, his eyes occasionally lingering ambiguously between her and Zuo Yuanwu. The person following him was also someone Jing Yao disliked very much: the bad-tempered General Wen Rencuo, who always had a cold face.
How come they got together again?
It turns out that annoying people are birds of a feather.
Jing Yao didn't want to show any good face at all, and wanted to leave with Zuo Yuanwu. However, Si Jue saw through her thoughts and stopped her first: "It's really unfortunate to interrupt your date."
"Your Highness Prince Lin, please don't speak nonsense." Zuo Yuanwu responded with his head lowered, neither humble nor arrogant, with a hint of anger in his eyes.
Criticizing the young lady was what he hated most.
What's more, the two people in front of him were both bad guys, and neither of them would seriously want him and Jing Yao to be together. It was unforgivable to make a joke about such a thing.
Jing Yao didn't care. She was already annoyed by the two gate gods blocking her way. She looked up at Si Jue's smiling gaze and spat, "You should mind your own business. Did any girl like you today? Don't keep hanging around me."
Si Jue was a little embarrassed by her words, but he was used to Jing Yao's cold face and quickly adjusted himself to a shameless look, and admitted: "Yes, no girl likes me."
“Serves you right.”
Jing Yao rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath. Unexpectedly, Si Jue still didn't intend to let her go. Instead, he moved closer and asked, "Cousin Ling Yi, aren't you going to introduce me to a girl?"
"Why are you so busy chatting with General Zuo? Aren't you afraid of hurting my brother's feelings?"
Jing Yao glanced at him from head to toe with extreme contempt. "It's none of your business who I talk to. What? Are you angry on his behalf?"
Si Jue wanted to get closer, but Zuo Yuanwu blocked him and said, "If your highness feels hot, you can go wash your face."
“Hahahahahahaha.”
Jing Yao enjoyed seeing Si Jue's frustrated expression. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Wen Rencuo's not-so-obvious gaze that was always focused on her.
"Your Highness, please don't joke." Wen Rencuo changed the subject, "Madam Jing said earlier that she bought another hairpin for General Zuo Yuanwu. I guess we were just exchanging gifts just now."
Jing Yao felt something was wrong. How could he have forgotten about this?
Zuo Yuanwu's expression still looked very calm, even a little shockingly calm.
"General Wenren is right. I am merely presenting Madam Jing with a gift from Nan'an City."
"So that's how it is."
Si Jue nodded: "Then why didn't I see General Zuo wearing the gift from Cousin Ling Yi? Could it be that he doesn't like it?"
"That's not the case." Zuo Yuanwu smiled. "I'm just a soldier. It's not appropriate for me to wear these flowers, so I'd better put them away."
Zuo Yuanwu's words were well-reasoned, as if they had just been exchanging gifts for the Spring Festival banquet. Seeing their faces slightly grim, Zuo Yuanwu spoke again, seemingly aiming to shock the audience: "I'm also asking Miss to see if this dress of mine is suitable for the banquet for the Crown Prince's wedding."
After these words were spoken, Si Jue and Wen Rencuo's expressions suddenly became even uglier, as if they had really eaten two flies but couldn't spit them out. They could only force a smile and ask knowingly: "Is there going to be a happy event in the East Palace?"
Jing Yao deliberately smiled shyly and looked at Zuo Yuanwu with a reproachful look: "Brother Yuanwu was happy for me and the prince, and I couldn't help but say it out loud. I originally thought I would say it at the banquet tonight."
After saying this, her soft and beautiful phoenix eyes flickered, and she did not forget to pick up Si Jue's previous words and repeat them: "Didn't you say that you didn't want to get married before the prince? This time you don't have to worry."
Si Jue's face twitched, and he was obviously very angry, but he still forced a smile and nodded: "Then I wish cousin Ling Yi... a happy wedding."
Jing Yao waved his hand: "The wedding is still some time away, it won't be too late to wish you again then."
Zuo Yuanwu could hardly suppress the upward curve of his lips, and Si Jue felt a little embarrassed after being criticized for several consecutive times. Seeing that there was nothing more to talk about, he had to take his leave.
Before leaving, Wen Rencuo looked at her with an ambiguous look. Jing Yao got goosebumps all over her body after just one glance.
“I don’t know how they came to be able to collaborate.”
Jing Yao folded his arms, very confused.
Zuo Yuanwu shrugged and smiled: "Maybe it's because we have the same interests."
Jing Yao's expression grew more serious. Their cooperation might have a significant impact on the situation.
Seeing her so worried, Zuo Yuanwu beside her comforted her, "Miss, don't worry. Trust His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Um."
She really wanted to believe Si Pei, but judging from the outcome of her previous life, Si Jue was definitely not an ordinary person.
"I'm leaving first."
Jing Yao still wanted to go find Si Pei, so Zuo Yuanwu naturally wouldn't stop her. He just smiled and watched her go.
"Oh, that..." Jing Yao paused and snapped back to his senses: "I had prepared that gift, but..."
She suddenly didn't know what to say. Was she really going to give the Xuantan Flower to Yuanwu? She hadn't thought much about it when she bought it, but in the eyes of others, it might just be evidence of her two-timing.
But she never cared about rumors. She was worried about Zuo Yuanwu... More importantly, if she had decided to give Si Pi a name, she shouldn't treat Zuo Yuanwu like this anymore.
"It's okay, miss." The man's usually innocent face now had a mature and relieved temperament, which made Jing Yao feel a little unfamiliar. Zuo Yuanwu himself didn't like such a weak look, so he smiled and said, "Anyway, I don't have any gifts from Nan'an City."
The two laughed out loud at the same time. Jing Yao knew that he really didn't care, and finally left with peace of mind.
My eyes followed the blue figure until she disappeared at the end of the garden and I could see nothing.
Zuo Yuanwu lowered his head, smiled self-deprecatingly, and took out a small gift bag woven with gold thread from his arms.
Inside was a sea ice star bead necklace from Nan'an City.
——
Si Pei's emotions reached their peak the moment he saw Jing Yao and Zuo Yuanwu actually hugging each other. He rushed towards them without thinking, and because there was a lake in the middle, he had to go around the side road. Before he had taken a few steps, he was stopped by another uninvited guest.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Baili Wenfu bowed to him respectfully, and Si Pei nodded in understanding. Just as he was about to move forward, he was stopped again by Baili Wenfu with an incomprehensible look.
"What urgent matter does Shaoqing Baili have to say?"
The implication is that if you have nothing to do, don't get in my way.
"I have something here that I must ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to review."
Si Pei was a little impatient at first, but considering that Baili Wenfu's expression was serious and it was indeed an important matter, he took it and opened it to read.
However, the more he looked down, the tighter his brows furrowed.
"Where did you find this thing?"
Si Pei slammed it shut, his expression showing a hint of uncontrolled anger.
"Your Highness, let's first worry about whether Ling Yi will see it."
"Shut up!"
A few traces of murderous anger flashed in Si Pei's gloomy eyes. He knew who was deliberately trying to spread this matter.
Such a huge disaster must not be allowed to continue for any longer.
"Shaoqing should know what to do and what not to do."
Si Pei opened his bloodshot eyes, his hatred revealed without any concealment.
"I understand." Baili Wenfu took a few steps back and quickly left the imperial garden with the information.
He sighed inwardly, fearing that a bloody conflict would be necessary in the palace to truly put an end to the current undercurrent situation.
——
"Little pear!"
On his way back, Jing Yao happened to run into Si Pei, who was so angry that he was still standing there thinking over and over again how to cut Si Jue into pieces.
The moment he saw the girl running towards him with her skirt lifted up, all the vicious and resentful thoughts in Si Pei's heart were silenced in an instant.
"Yaoyao!"
Si Pei hugged her as if it was the first time, his strong arms on both sides tightly wrapped around the girl's body, holding her completely in his arms.
"Yaoyao, will you leave me?"
The man rested his head softly and lovingly on the girl's shoulder. The words he uttered sounded quite pitiful, and Jing Yao was almost very familiar with them.
I think he suddenly asked again today because he saw me interacting with other men, or because agreeing to get married made him nervous and worried.
Jing Yao's evil intentions started to rise again, and he couldn't suppress his desire to tease him. "I wouldn't have thought so...but since you're so scared, why don't we just not get married?"
"no!"
Si Pei was so anxious that he forgot to change his coquettish voice into a soft boyish one. He hugged her tightly in his arms: "Yaoyao, you can't go back on your promise. Otherwise..."
Seeing that Si Pei's mood was getting worse and worse, Jing Yao quickly stopped:
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Jing Yao purred, rubbing the roots of the man's hair on the back of his neck to soothe him, and finally agreed, "I won't leave."
"That's good……"
The man's muffled voice carried a hint of smugness at having achieved his goal, and it sounded... quite cute.
"By the way, Xiaoli, I have something important to tell you!"
As soon as these words came out, Si Pei's heart, which had never been completely at peace, was suddenly lifted up again. He tried his best to hide his anxiety and worry, and smiled: "Huh? What happened?"
"That Si Jue actually colluded with Wen Rencuo!"
Seeing Jing Yao's indignant look, Si Pei's anxious heart finally settled down, and was replaced by doting on the person in front of him.
This matter is neither big nor small. What kind of trouble can those two people create together?
Thinking of this, Si Pei gently gathered up the girl's fallen hair: "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
At this moment, Si Pei is still the future emperor who is omnipotent and confident in controlling everything. He firmly believes that everything is still under his control.
At least that's what he thought until tonight.
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