Chapter 228 He Reaps What He Sows
After Li Yuanshu was demoted to a commoner, he was imprisoned in an extremely remote courtyard in the northwest corner of the palace.
This place is called "Jingsi Garden", but it was actually a cold palace where concubines who had fallen out of favor or committed crimes were imprisoned throughout the ages. The walls of the courtyard are mottled, overgrown with weeds, and teeming with rats.
She was sentenced to be demoted to a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou, never to return to the capital.
All the items that once symbolized her status as a princess, such as the gold seal, purple ribbon, jade seal, and carriage, were taken back. Along with her title of "Princess Yaoyang" and her fiefdom of a thousand acres in the suburbs, she was also stripped of them.
Generally speaking, to prevent any unforeseen complications, deposed princes are required to leave the capital quickly and are not allowed to stay.
But now it is deep winter, and the official roads in the northern states have long been covered by heavy snow, making long journeys extremely difficult.
It was Li Yuanzhao who spoke up, allowing her to leave the capital after spring, which was considered a final bit of "dignity" for her.
At this moment, Li Yuanshu was huddled alone on the cold wooden bed.
She had wrapped the musty-smelling blanket tightly around herself, burying her head in it, but she was still shivering from the cold.
The cold wind seeped in through the cracks in the broken window frame, like countless fine needles, pricking her skin painfully.
She was a princess for sixteen years. Even though she was not favored by her father from a young age, she was still born into wealth and privilege, surrounded by servants.
In winter, the palace is warmed by burning silver charcoal, making it warm enough to wear only a single layer of clothing.
In the summer, ice chests were used to cool things down, and she didn't bother to even glance at the various fresh fruits and melons offered as tribute from different places.
Where have I ever lived such a life?
Not only was there no one to serve them, and they lacked food and clothing, but in such a cold winter, there wasn't even a brazier of charcoal to keep them warm.
When they went to Qianzhou, the so-called "exile" was not a normal settlement, but rather a lifelong house arrest confined to a designated courtyard.
Officials guarded the area day and night, strictly prohibiting communication or contact with the outside world; they were not even allowed to step out of the courtyard.
He could only spend his whole life in that desolate place, accompanied by a lonely lamp and a cold stove, slowly wasting away until the end of his life.
Of course she knew that this was the result of her own actions.
Li Yuanzhao spared her life by not sentencing her to death, which was already an act of leniency beyond the law.
But the thought of spending the rest of my life like this is unbearable.
Living a life of poverty, hunger, loneliness, and isolation, without freedom or dignity, and even dying in a undignified manner, she couldn't help but feel sorrow.
What difference is there between such a life and death?
Perhaps she should have died with her mother back then, at least she could have retained some dignity as a princess.
As she thought about it, tears streamed down her face again.
Suddenly, the door creaked open from the outside.
A cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in, and Li Yuanshu shivered. She quickly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve before looking up warily.
A young girl dressed in a light blue palace maid's dress, carrying a heavy bamboo basket, stepped across the threshold and walked in.
After entering, he turned back to the guard outside with a smile and said, "Thank you, brother, thank you, brother. Please take this small amount of silver to buy some wine. I'll be out soon, I won't trouble you at all!"
When the girl turned around, Li Yuanshu squinted and carefully examined her.
She appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in bulky clothes, with her hair styled in two buns. Her face was flushed from the cold, and her features seemed somewhat familiar, though I couldn't quite place where I had seen her before.
Could it be a palace maid from my or my mother's palace?
That's not right. Ever since my mother committed suicide and I was deposed, all the servants around me have been driven out of the palace. How could anyone still be here?
She forced herself to lift the covers, straightened her thin, wrinkled clothes, and sat upright on the edge of the bed, trying her best to keep her back straight.
Then he asked, "Who are you?"
The young palace maid quickly put down her bamboo basket, knelt down with a "plop," and kowtowed loudly.
“Third Princess! I used to work in Ganlu Palace. A few months ago, Eunuch Xu punished me by making me kneel outside the palace for three hours because the medicine I served His Majesty was too hot. You were the one who made me get up. Do you remember?”
Li Yuanshu then remembered that it was the little palace maid who had been punished to kneel at the entrance of his father's bedroom.
She had only said something casually because she felt sorry for the girl, but she never expected that the little palace maid would remember it and even dare to risk coming to see her now.
A complex warmth welled up in her heart, and she said softly, "Get up. I am no longer a princess, but a commoner who has committed a crime. You don't need to kneel before me anymore."
The young palace maid stood up as instructed, but still stood respectfully to the side with her hands at her sides, her eyes red, and said, "In my heart, you will always be that kind-hearted Third Princess."
"Thanks to you last time, I didn't get too cold. I've always remembered your kindness, but I haven't had a chance to repay you. A few days ago, I heard from a lady in the catering department that you were locked up in Jing Si Yuan. This place... this place is no place for a human to stay. I was worried that you had nothing to eat or drink, so I secretly bought some things to come and see you."
As she spoke, she hurriedly took the items out of the bamboo basket and placed them on the table.
There was a box of hibiscus pastries carefully wrapped in oil paper, which was a snack that Li Yuanshu used to have the catering bureau make.
A small jar of candied fruit, two bags of dried meat, and even a package of roast chicken wrapped in two layers of oil paper.
The moment it was opened, a fragrant aroma wafted out, clearly indicating that it had just come out of the oven and was still warm.
Li Yuanshu looked at the long-awaited food on the table, and his stomach rumbled loudly.
This place, like a cold palace, only brought me bland cabbage soup and hard, cold steamed buns every day. It was good enough to barely fill my stomach; I dared not hope for anything else.
She hadn't eaten any meat in a long time.
Upon seeing the food on the table, she couldn't help but swallow hard.
Even in her misfortune, she maintained the dignity of a princess and pretended to be uninterested.
The young palace maid seemed to sense her embarrassment, and stepped forward to pull her up from the edge of the bed and help her sit down at the table.
He tore off another chicken leg, placed it on a piece of oil paper, and handed it to her.
"Princess, eat up! This roast chicken was secretly reserved for me by a lady from the Food Bureau. It just came out of the oven not long ago and is still hot and smells amazing. It won't taste good if it gets cold any longer!"
Unable to resist her enthusiasm, Li Yuanshu finally stopped hesitating and took a big bite.
The rich, savory flavor explodes in your mouth instantly, with a crispy outer skin, tender chicken, and even the bones are infused with just the right amount of salty and savory flavor.
It seemed like she hadn't eaten anything this delicious in a long time.
In the past, the imperial kitchen would send at least a dozen dishes every day.
Bear paws, bird's nest, and venison were served in turn, making this roast chicken completely unworthy of her table.
But at this moment, the seemingly ordinary roast chicken in her hand tasted more delicious than any delicacy she had ever eaten before.
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