Chapter 43
The weather is sunny today, with a few thin clouds floating in the blue sky. Beside the path leading from Tianlu Pavilion to the Imperial Garden venue, autumn chrysanthemums of various colors are in full bloom. The yellow ones are as bright as the sun, and the white ones are as pure as winter snow. The layers of petals are wrapped around the golden stamens, and when the wind blows, they fall all over the bluestone path.
Xiaoyueer bid farewell to King Yi, and walked towards the venue in the Imperial Garden with Baishuang and an attendant from the Imperial Household Department.
"Hey!" The few people crossing the bridge over there...
"Little brother, go back. I know the way to the garden."
"this......"
"It's okay, I can move freely in the palace."
"Yes, then I will go back first."
"Yeah." After sending away the attendants from the Imperial Household Department, Xiaoyue'er and the others hid behind a sea of flowers.
Peeking out from the sea of flowers, Xiaoyue'er saw Yi Tianhao and Yi Tianya, brother and sister, approaching with two attendants. Xiaoyue'er's fury boiled over at this encounter. They'd scolded her father and pushed her and her aunt. They were truly wicked, and now they were back at her, too! Xiaoyue'er's eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile curled her lips. Now that she'd met them, there was no reason to let them go.
"Miss, what's so funny?" Bai Shuang asked curiously.
"Nothing, did you see those two ugly guys and girls? Let's have something fun!"
"Miss, this is the imperial palace. Will we get into trouble?" Bai Shuang whispered in her master's ear.
"If you trust me, you won't be afraid of getting into trouble."
Xiaoyue'er's eyes rolled, and her right hand reached into her sleeve pocket. Hidden there was a small slingshot, custom-made for her by Yi Luoyue. Uncle Liefeng had even made her a gift of pellets, made from dried mud. While they didn't hurt, they were surprisingly frightening. Then, he pulled two pellets from his pouch, placed one on a rubber band, stretched it to its maximum tension, and fired at Yi Tianya's bun.
"Ouch!" The bullet hit Yi Tianya's bun accurately, causing a pearl flower to fall off and a few strands of hair to fall out. Yi Tianya was also startled.
"What's wrong?" Looking at his sister's messy hair, Yi Tianhao asked with concern.
"I don't know, it seems like something hit me."
Yi Tianhao looked around but didn't find anything suspicious.
"What did you see?"
"Your Highness, Princess, we didn't see anything." But it's not the fault of the two servants. The bullets shattered the objects into pieces as soon as they hit them. There was no such thing as physical evidence.
"Let's go to the Empress Dowager first to tidy up your appearance. You will bring shame to our father if you look like this."
"All right."
Xiao Yue'er hid behind the sea of flowers, covering her mouth and laughing secretly. "Hmph! It's not over yet!" She quietly pulled the slingshot and prepared to launch the second one!
"Swoosh."
"Who? Who hit me?" This time it was Yi Tianhao who exclaimed, frowned and looked around.
Xiaoyueer heard a wail of satisfaction and put away the tools as quickly as possible.
"Who? Who's playing tricks on me? You have the guts to plot against me, but you don't have the guts to face others? Come out!"
The surroundings were silent, save for the sound of wind rustling through leaves. Xiao Yue'er lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. She had struck so quickly and accurately that Yi Tianhao and Yi Tianya hadn't noticed her at all.
Yi Tianya touched her crooked hair bun, feeling angry and annoyed.
"Brother, someone must have done this on purpose! Let's go complain to the Empress Dowager and find this person!"
Yi Tianhao also felt embarrassed.
"Okay, let's go now. You're so brave to bully us in the palace!"
As they spoke, they turned and left angrily.
Xiao Yueer looked at their backs and finally couldn't help laughing. She squatted down, feeling extremely happy. Serves you right. See if you dare to bully me again. Humph.
"Xiaoyue, what are you doing!?"
Oh no! It’s Daddy. Xiao Yue raised her head and saw Gong Yuchen looking at her with a cold face.
"Dad, why are you here?" He pretended to be confused and looked at Gong Yuchen.
"Do you think I can't see your little tricks?"
He'd actually seen Xiaoyue hiding behind the sea of flowers, but he'd stayed out because he wanted to see what this little devil was up to. She was still growing up, not yet able to suppress her emotions, so she didn't understand the severity of the problem. She'd only learn from her setbacks. In short, she needed to be tempered!
"They were the ones who bullied us first. A gentleman will always seek revenge. I thought hard for a long time before I came up with this harmless joke."
"Do you know this is the imperial palace? What will you do if something goes wrong?"
"I was so angry that I hit them with a slingshot. The bullets were made of mud and couldn't hurt anyone. I just wanted to teach them a lesson. I usually just tease people and won't really hurt anyone." She pouted and muttered aggrievedly.
Gong Yuchen stroked her stubborn cheek.
"Xiao Yue'er, the people outside are no better than your family. When I'm no longer by your side, don't provoke anyone just for teasing. The so-called bad people are bad because they do bad things. Even if they are just trivial matters, these people will not tolerate others offending them. Do you understand?"
"So, can Xiaoyue do it while Daddy is here?"
Is this the kind of annoying problem that being a father means I have to deal with? It's really not a happy thing, but...
"No matter what you want to do in the future, find daddy first. Daddy will not let anyone who bullies you go. You just have to be good."
"Okay..." Xiaoyue agreed reluctantly.
"Let's go, let's go find the princess." He took her little hand and walked towards the garden.
Shufei's bedroom
Add this to the incense at night. Shu Fei took out a tiny white bottle from her sleeve and handed it to her personal steward, Zhao Ma.
"Yes, my lady."
"Do you know who it is?"
"My Lady, are you still unsure about my services? I have already arranged everything."
"good."
"Grandmother!" Seeing Shu Fei, Yi Tianya began to complain in a tearful voice.
"You have to take charge of this for me. I don't know who came out of nowhere and hit me with something. My brother and I didn't see who it was."
"Yes, Grandmother, we were bullied in the Imperial Garden. The Tianya Lianzhu flowers were even knocked crooked. If this gets out, where will our Xianwang Mansion's face be?"
"Humph! Who is it? How dare you hurt Hao'er and Ya'er? If I find out who it is, I will never let them off easily!"
Shu Fei slammed the table in anger, her expression gloomy and cold. At this moment, she no longer had the dignified and gentle image of a palace concubine. After all, a woman in the palace had to be hard-hearted and ruthless.
"Madam Zhao, take Ya'er to tidy up her appearance first, and ask someone to check who has come to the inner palace today."
"Your Majesty, someone just came to report that Princess Yue and a girl have come to see His Majesty."
"girl?"
"Grandmother, I know who it is!" Yi Tianhao suddenly realized.
"Who is it?"
"Replying to the Empress Dowager, it was the little bastard adopted daughter of the Prince of Xiyi who bullied Tianya before." As expected of the son of a wise king, he had mastered the skill of turning the tables tenfold.
"Is that the little bastard that Yi Luoyue is taking care of?"
"That's her."
"This is insubordination!" Shu Fei slammed the table and scolded angrily.
"Your Majesty, I heard that His Majesty has allowed her to roam freely within the palace without having to kneel."
"What! Your Majesty, have you lost your mind? He's just a lowly creature, and even a virtuous king doesn't get this kind of treatment!"
Shu Fei thought about how she had endured so much in her youth to protect the virtuous prince and how she had never received his majesty's approval. Instead, the empress and that bitch Yi Luoyue had always been his majesty's favorites. After all these years, the throne had remained vacant, and he had refused to give it to her. Even the little bastard Yi Luoyue had brought into the palace was able to climb over Tianhao and Tianya. How could she swallow this humiliation? Now, with the virtuous prince's battle for the throne, she had even more to worry about. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she immediately looked at Zhao Ma.
"Madam Zhao, go and get the blue jadeite plaque that His Majesty gave me from my dressing box."
"Yes, I'll go right away."
"Grandmother, I'm going to teach her a lesson." Yi Tianya, who still refused to learn her lesson, shouted.
"Tianya, stop making trouble. You need to use your wits to teach her a lesson, okay?" Shu Fei comforted her beloved granddaughter.
"So what should we do? You've figured it out, haven't you?"
"Ya'er, your piano skills are well-known. So, at the banquet, you can perform for the princess and let that girl compete with you. How can that little country bastard be better than our Tianya? You can embarrass her then."
"Okay, Grandma Royal."
"Yes, that's it!"
"My lady, I've got the things."
"Tianhao, secretly hide this on that girl. When she competes with Yaer in playing the zither, tell her that she stole the jade token that the Empress Dowager gave you today."
"Yes, Grandmother, I've got it in mind." This move was truly brilliant. Regardless of whether that little bitch won or lost, no matter how powerful she was, she would definitely be punished in the end. He chuckled triumphantly.
"Be careful not to show your true colors." Anyone who dares to bully her grandson is simply seeking death.
"No, Grandmother, I will be careful. Let's go and prepare first."
"Go ahead."
Today marked the nineteenth birthday of Princess Yiluoyue, and in the afternoon, His Majesty had meticulously arranged a matchmaking tea party for her. Young men of eligible age from the families of civil and military officials, all dressed in splendid attire, gathered in the Imperial Garden, hoping to win the Princess's favor. Several women from prominent families, each holding a purse they had embroidered, watched the ceremony from within the courtyard. They offered their purses to any man the Princess hadn't chosen, and if the man and woman were interested, they could become a perfect match.
Yi Luoyue sat at the main seat in the hall. According to tea ceremony etiquette, each young master was required to celebrate the princess' birthday and present gifts. A palace maid had already placed two trays on the tea table in front of Yi Luoyue. On the left tray were dozens of green purses embroidered with autumn chrysanthemums and filled with tea chrysanthemum powder—return gifts for the unsuccessful young masters of the aristocratic families. On the right tray was a golden purse embroidered with twin lotus flowers and filled with osmanthus flowers. Yi Luoyue had embroidered it herself, the stitches meticulously detailed, each petal a testament to her care and attention. This purse already had an owner, though no one else knew it.
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