Chapter 125 Escape Under the Night
The palace is a huge cage.
Holding a steamed bun, I strolled around the back garden of the prison, followed by two rows of guards, looking quite imposing.
Unfortunately, they were all the jailers guarding me.
The "six rites" of betrothal, asking the name, accepting auspicious gifts, presenting betrothal gifts, setting the wedding date, and welcoming the bride should be simplified or reduced as much as possible, cutting corners, since my purpose is to lure people in anyway.
"Your Majesty, the wedding attire is ready. His Majesty requests that you return to the palace to try it on," a maidservant said hurriedly from behind.
So fast?!
Liu Xie was eager to force Cao Cao to return!
It seems he wanted to force Cao Cao into the palace alone, then kill him in one fell swoop, seize his military power, and regain control of the empire.
But I knew Cao Cao would never come back.
"Please, Your Highness, don't make things difficult for me," the maid pleaded, kneeling on the ground.
All the guards knelt down.
"Please return to the palace, Your Majesty!"
What's going on here? I'm the prisoner, the bait, I'm the victim! This is utterly ridiculous.
When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Besides, Baozi is here too. You can't directly disobey the emperor. If you anger him, he'll make fun of Baozi, and that would be terrible.
When he returned to his palace, Liu Xie was sitting in the hall waiting for him.
"Take the Empress inside to try on the clothes," Liu Xie said, a smirk playing on his lips as he saw me.
I saw a palace maid holding a deep red dress in her hands; they really went all out with the performance.
"Cao Cao won't come, give up." I said, looking at the young emperor before me, telling him and myself.
"Since Prime Minister Cao has no interest in you, then you may stay in the palace and keep me company," Liu Xie said casually.
"I didn't expect you to be so indiscriminate in your pursuit of food," I said with a smile, "You even go after the mother of your child."
Liu Xie nodded seriously, "Yes, I really am indiscriminate in my choices."
I'm speechless! What a sharp-tongued little devil!
Suddenly I remembered that incident of the Blood Edict. He once told me that as long as I stayed by his side, he would make me his empress. At that time, he may have been influenced by his feelings for An Ruo, but now, due to the order of time and space, he should no longer remember An Ruo's existence. Why is he still so persistent?
The man before me was also wearing a black robe with red trim and wide sleeves, embroidered with golden dragons rising from the clouds, but he was completely different from before, and his eyes were sharp.
He slightly raised his sleeve, and a maidservant stepped forward to take the steamed bun from my arms.
I quickly protected the steamed bun and glared at him, "What are you doing?!"
"Don't worry, I won't hurt him. Go try on the clothes," Liu Xie said, looking at me. "You're in the palace. If I were to punish you, do you think you could protect him?"
I gritted my teeth, shoved the steamed bun into his arms, and said, "Then you can hold it yourself!"
He seemed to still vividly remember the incident with the boy's urine, for he paused for a moment. I took the opportunity to bend down and steal a token from his pocket. Without looking at him again, I turned and went into the room to try on clothes, casually hiding the token in my sleeve.
Hehe, my title of master thief is well-deserved! (Someone: You called yourself a master thief... And what's so great about that! Someone laughs: You're just jealous of me!)
By the time I finished trying on the clothes, it was already dark. Liu Xie stayed in my room for dinner. Lanterns were hung everywhere in the palace, making it as bright as day.
I was so engrossed in playing with Baozi that I completely ignored him, treating him like he was invisible.
"The wedding is in three days," Liu Xie suddenly said.
I tightened my grip on the steamed bun slightly, but didn't say a word.
On the first day, I ate and drank my fill.
The next day, I slept until the sun was high in the sky.
In the afternoon, Consort Fu came to visit.
I yawned and got out of bed with disheveled hair. "What brings you here so early?"
It's still early...
Of course, Baozi was still drooling and dreaming.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest," Consort Fu said naturally, without even twitching her eyebrows.
I plopped down on the floor and ignored her.
"Tomorrow is the wedding day, are you ready?" Consort Fu suddenly asked.
“What’s there to prepare for? I’m at their mercy,” I shrugged. “Anyway, Cao Mengde won’t care whether I live or die, so I might as well live a miserable life. Being an empress isn’t so bad. So many people in the world want to be one but don’t even have a chance.”
Lady Fu stared at me for a long time without saying a word.
"Why don't you tell me, is there any news about Cao Cao?" I glanced at her and smiled. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat when I asked that, as if I were anticipating her answer.
Consort Fu looked at me, but still did not speak.
My smile widened, and I finally couldn't help but laugh. "See... I placed the wrong bet."
Standing up, Consort Fu walked towards the door and left.
Watching her figure disappear through the door, my smile froze slightly on my face. I glanced at the palace servants and maids around me and said, "Get out."
Everyone remained motionless.
"Get out!" I roared suddenly, smashing the nearest palace lantern to pieces. "Get out!"
The crowd remained motionless.
"Everyone, get out." Liu Xie's voice suddenly rang out.
I looked up at him.
Then the palace maids and servants filed out.
I looked at him and forced a smile. "What do we do? You placed the wrong bet."
Liu Xie stepped forward, looking at me with a half-smile, "I thought you would be heartbroken."
“I think you’re the one who should be sad,” I said with a smile. “One wrong move and the whole game is lost. All of Consort Fu’s efforts have been in vain. I told you all long ago that Cao Mengde would definitely not come!”
His face was slightly pale. Liu Xie raised his hand, grasped my throat, and tightened his grip slightly. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?" He moved closer to me, whispered in my ear, like a lover's whisper.
Slightly breathless, I still chuckled softly, when suddenly I heard Baozi crying.
With some difficulty, I looked at Baozi through the half-open curtain. He was falling off the tatami mat and landing on the cushion.
My heart skipped a beat, and I gritted my teeth and stomped hard on Liu Xie's foot. When he let go in pain, I rushed into the room and carefully picked up Baozi.
Luckily it landed on a soft cushion, otherwise...
Baozi's eyes were red from crying, and he looked pitiful. I rarely see him cry.
"The wedding will proceed as scheduled tomorrow," came Liu Xie's voice from outside the door.
When I turned around, I saw that he had already left.
Holding the steamed bun, I slid slowly down the wall, sat on the ground, and curled up into a ball.
I've told myself a hundred times, a thousand times, that he won't come.
I also hope he doesn't come.
Who was Cao Mengde? ... How could someone as clever as Cao Cao not know that this was a trap? Knowing it was a trap, why would Cao Cao walk into it?
But in the end... I was still left all alone.
I'm all alone now.
I am still the one who has been abandoned.
"Yiya ya...ya wu..." The little dumpling in my arms became restless. I looked down and saw him staring at me with his bright, sparkling eyes.
I laughed and tapped his little nose. "Yes, and there's Baozi too. Baozi will never abandon me."
Baozi wrinkled her little nose, squinted her eyes, and smiled sweetly.
“We… will be fine,” I said, hugging the bun tightly. I pulled out the token I had taken from Liu Xie that day from my sleeve and narrowed my eyes slightly.
As night fell, I left the palace carrying steamed buns.
"Your Majesty, please return to the palace." She had only taken a few steps out of the palace when she was stopped by the night patrol guards.
I raised my hand and showed them the token I had taken from Liu Xie that day. "Tomorrow is the wedding day, and the Emperor and I have important matters to discuss."
The guard hesitated for a moment, but finally let me pass. Following my memory, I hurried out of the palace. The sky was starless and moonless, exceptionally desolate.
"It's getting late. I wonder where my Empress intends to go?" Liu Xie's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
I froze, and when I turned around, I saw Liu Xie holding a palace lantern, standing quietly in the corridor watching me.
On a night without stars or moon, even the wind was unusually cold. Liu Xie stood in the corridor, the palace lantern in his hand emitting a faint light, enveloping him in a hazy glow. He stood alone, without a single servant behind him.
"It's freezing cold, Your Majesty, you seem to be in high spirits." I smiled, squinting my eyes.
"Today is the memorial service for my elder brother's death," Liu Xie said softly, his voice drifting away on the wind.
I looked at him, the evening breeze whipping his robes, making a "whooshing" sound. He wasn't wearing a dragon robe, and even his hair was loose over his shoulders, dancing lightly in the night wind.
In the darkness of night, the young emperor looked so frail.
"My brother died because of me," Liu Xie said softly, leaning against the corridor. "He did it to preserve this throne, this Liu family's empire... But, without eliminating Cao Cao, I am nothing but a glorious puppet, a puppet in dragon robes. This throne was bought with the lives of my brother and sister, and I cannot lose it... It is the only thing they left me... Besides this throne, I have nothing..."
"What kind of person is your elder brother?" I approached him and asked softly, trying to distract him.
“He was a good man, a good man who wouldn’t even hurt a bird. My brother is different from me; he is gentler than anyone else… But that treacherous Dong Zhuo still killed him!” Liu Xie gritted his teeth, his face filled with hatred. “Therefore, I will regain power, restore the Han dynasty, and exterminate all the traitors and villains!”
In the darkness, his eyes gleamed like those of a man-eating wolf.
I stepped forward, pursed my lips slightly, and took advantage of his inattention to knock the lantern out of his hand and onto the ground.
Liu Xie was stunned. He watched as the lantern rolled on the ground, flames leaped out and engulfed the entire lantern in flames. In no time, it turned to ashes, and darkness enveloped the surroundings.
I remember... this young emperor was afraid of the dark.
Taking advantage of the darkness around me, I turned and left.
In the darkness, suddenly, a hand gripped my wrist tightly.
"It's so dark..." Liu Xie's voice was as fragile as a child's.
I gritted my teeth, trying to break free from him.
"Don't leave... me alone..." Liu Xie held my hand tightly, "Don't leave me alone..."
He held my hand as if I were a drowning person grasping at a straw.
I knew I should shake him off, but my feet felt like they were rooted to the spot.
Baozi suddenly started crying, which startled me awake. This was no time for sentimentality! I hardened my heart, shook off his hand, and prepared to leave.
"Your Majesty the Empress." Consort Fu's voice suddenly rang out.
Suddenly, the surroundings became bright. I stopped and saw Consort Fu standing in front of me, blocking my way, with a group of maids carrying palace lanterns standing behind her.
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