Chapter 201: Sounding Out
"Don't be afraid." Xie Chengyan bent down and was wrapping the gauze around her waist. He said, "I was also at the palace banquet. Anyone who dares to harm you will be killed."
"But, back at the Cining Palace, you have to be careful." He tied the last knot and put on Ye Lanzhou's inner garment. Seeing that there was nothing unusual, he patted her belly gently and said, "Sister-in-law, be careful."
Ye Lanzhou's breath caught when he heard this name. It's not like Xie Chengyan hasn't called him that before, but it's never been as... bewitching as this...
The palace banquet is the royal family's family banquet, held on New Year's Eve.
To conceal her whereabouts, Ye Lanzhou first went to the imperial mausoleum in advance, and was then brought back to the palace by someone sent from the palace. It was such a hassle. She lived not far from the palace, yet she had to go through all this trouble. But there was nothing she could do. After all, she had lied in the first place.
After going back and forth, Ye Lanzhou felt exhausted all over.
Beneath the vermilion palace walls, He Qiumao, holding a lantern, bowed before him to lead the way. Ye Lanzhou, though exhausted, didn't show it, dragging her heavy steps behind him.
There is a lot of snow in Shangjing, and it started snowing again today.
He Qiumao and Ye Lanzhou, each holding an umbrella, walked along the palace corridor toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Ye Lanzhou's skirt brushed the snow on the bluestone bricks, making a soft rustling sound.
As if because he hadn't spoken for too long and felt that the silence was a bit too much, He Qiumao suddenly said: "It's a long journey, and it's also very hard work, you are so kind."
He Qiumao was the person sent by the palace to pick up Ye Lanzhou. Xie Chengyan said that except Xie Zhaohe, no one in the palace knew that she was now living in the palace, so he had to be careful with his words and not let any secrets slip.
Now that He Qiumao started talking about the journey, Ye Lanzhou suddenly recalled what Xie Chengyan said.
She said: "It's not far, but the road is a bit bumpy and not easy to walk on."
He Qiumao laughed heartily and continued, "It will be great when the Concubine Dowager gives birth to a royal heir. Then we can return to the palace to live. His Majesty has recently welcomed his younger sister, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is arranging a place for that girl. I was thinking of giving Concubine Dowager her place as well."
Ye Lanzhou felt that the "Your Majesty's sister" he mentioned was not a sister, but should be the young daughter of Wei Chi's family mentioned earlier, who was sent to the palace to be raised. She was only called "Your Majesty's sister" to make it sound nice.
Ye Lanzhou nodded. She hadn't planned to live in the palace from the beginning, but she smiled and thanked him anyway. She didn't know why He Qiumao suddenly brought up her residence, and she just thought he was just trying to find a topic to talk about.
The next moment, He Qiumao spoke again, saying, "The conditions in the palace are similar to those of the noble lady now, so the noble lady won't be uncomfortable living there."
Ye Lanzhou almost said yes, but then she realized something was wrong. In the eyes of the palace, she should be living in the imperial mausoleum. The conditions in the imperial mausoleum were much worse than those in the palace, and it was much more deserted. It was not as lively as the palace at all. So why did they say she could live there?
Was He Qiumao trying to sound her out? He was Xie Chengyan's man, so he must have known about her affair with Xie Chengyan, and he knew about it quite early on. But if he really trusted Xie Chengyan, why would he come to sound her out?
She felt it was always better to be cautious, so she said, "Don't be ridiculous, Mr. He. The imperial mausoleum is much quieter than the palace. If I came to the palace, I probably wouldn't be able to adapt for a while."
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