Chapter 44: The Dagger Pointed at Her Chest
The next day, Yu Fei woke up to the bumpy ride of the carriage.
"What time is it?"
"One quarter past the hour of Mao."
Jing Cang answered. He was leaning against the car wall with his clothes and hair neatly dressed, and he closed his eyes when he heard her move.
Oh, it's just past five o'clock. Yu Fei closed her eyes and wanted to sleep again. In ancient times, the royal family had many things to do during the Spring Festival. Jing Cang probably had to attend court and offer sacrifices today.
The two of them stayed up so late yesterday, and he got up early, so he probably didn't sleep all night. She stole a glance at him, and saw a hint of fatigue between his brows, and his face was a little pale. She suddenly felt that the comfortable little couch under her seemed a little uncomfortable.
As if noticing her gaze, he said calmly, "Today is the New Year's Day, and there are important matters in the palace. You should sleep a little longer."
Yu Fei knew that he was diligent, and now that she was the only one in the car, he could relax and lie down for a while. She quietly moved inside, preparing to make room for him.
"Ah," Yu Fei felt something hit her back, and there seemed to be a booklet inside. She stood up and took it out.
It is a memorial and a key.
She opened the letter, which roughly stated that no matter what serious crime Yu Fei committed, the prince would spare his life, unless he attempted assassination in the future. In the lower right corner was his signature and golden seal.
"Why?" She murmured unconsciously.
He did not recognize the golden medal of immunity from death that she had traded with Yang Zhi, but instead gave her a personally written decree of immunity from death.
When she asked, Jing Cang said softly, "I said I would spare you after I freed the snake, but you didn't necessarily believe me, so I left the certificate as proof."
Yu Fei held the memorial in her hands and suddenly felt it was heavy.
She really wanted to convince herself that this was a means for him to seduce her and free her, but their tenderness last night was so beautiful, and his expression and words at this moment were so serious and sincere, that she couldn't help but... be moved.
It's just a feeling of excitement, there is no future and it's not worth mentioning.
She made a happy expression, "Is this a New Year's gift? I like it very much." She raised the key again, "This one?"
"The key to the storehouse in the East Palace." Jing Cang said with a smile, "I heard from Dingxiang that you like fancy clothes, beautiful ornaments, and rare antiques. I'm afraid that what I chose won't suit you, so I'll give the key to you later. Inside is the tribute cloth from the Western Regions and a few boxes of jewelry that I begged from my mother. As for the treasures, the East Palace has always had countless of them. You can pick and choose whatever you like."
Yu Fei was stunned.
She knew that the things of the Queen and the Prince were the best in the world, but she knew even without having worn it that the control of the storehouse was usually handed over to the mistress.
He is already engaged, why is he doing this?
This gift, which was more valuable than the last, weighed her down. The huge difference between them and the fact that things were already settled made it impossible for her to express her gratitude. She forced a smile and said, "Are you hinting that you will abandon your wife and favor a concubine in the future?"
Jing Cang saw that Yu Fei was not as excited as he had imagined, but rather a little bitter, as if she was upset that he liked her but did not treat her as a wife. She had always been arrogant.
He held her in his arms and said softly, "A wife is for everyone to see. You are the one I really want. Yu Fei, if you follow me, I will give you the best of everything."
The memorial and the key fell silently from his hands.
Yu Fei felt his warm embrace, but felt that his words were like a cold sword piercing her heart.
Why do people feel uncomfortable when they hear the established facts again even though they already know them?
Maybe she is not the short-sighted fool that the original owner was.
Yu Fei was distracted when he heard his own perfunctory and almost numb voice: "Thank you, Your Highness."
After New Year's Eve comes the Lantern Festival, and Yu Fei receives a letter from his father.
He said that he was invited to the capital by both the Crown Prince and Prince Ning. As Prince Ning and Yu Shuang were discussing marriage urgently and were very attentive, he could not refuse, so he stayed in Prince Ning's mansion for a while, waiting for the Crown Prince to summon him in the future, or for him to come to the East Palace to ask for an audience, and then he would talk to her about their old relationship as father and daughter.
Yu Fei ignored Yu's father's words of admonition to his beloved daughter and focused on the few words in the letter describing Jing Yi and Yu Shuang, trying to get a glimpse of their intentions.
She was not surprised that Jing Cang invited Yu's father to come to Beijing. On New Year's Eve, she had expressed her homesickness. It was reasonable for him to arrange a father-daughter reunion for her in private.
Jing Yi seemed to have guessed that Jing Cang was trapped, and suspected that she was the one who set the trap. He was determined to kill Jing Cang and seize his position. With Yu Shuang, a scheming bitch who hated him so much, what if the two of them teamed up to trick Yu's father into trapping Jing Cang...
In fact, it doesn't matter if they know about it. The dragon has already disappeared, and they can't cause any trouble because of it.
Yu Fei was worried about another thing - Jing Yi was plotting a rebellion.
According to the original text, Jing Cang had already found out that Jing Yi's subordinate, the governor of Liangzhou, had embezzled earthquake disaster funds in order to recruit soldiers for his mother's clan, the Zhu family in the northwest. They did this privately without the emperor's permission, and their wolfish ambitions were obvious.
Soon, Jing Cang will quietly present evidence of Jing Yi and the Zhu family's rebellious intentions. The emperor will not take any action and summon the Zhu family's generals back to Beijing. The Zhu generals know that they are doomed, so they do not enter the city. Jing Yi and them will work together from the inside and outside to besiege the palace and rise up in rebellion. Jing Cang will lead several armies to fight with them for three days and three nights, and finally wipe out the Judgment Party.
It is not appropriate for Yu's father to have close ties with a "dead man" who is about to rebel. I am afraid that it will implicate the Yu family in the future. According to Jing Yi's sweet-mouthed but treacherous character, it is possible that he will fabricate a false testimony to accuse the Yu family of being his accomplices.
As for Yu Shuang, she had committed adultery with the wolf, so she had to bear the fate of "marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog."
The current priority is to pull Yu's father out of the troubled waters of Prince Ning. After all, her future carefree life after leaving the palace will still depend on the vast fortune of the Yu family.
On the 16th day of the first lunar month, Yu Shuang sent her a letter, inviting her to the Ning Wang Mansion to discuss her marriage with Yu's father.
Yu Fei felt that the person who came had bad intentions, but she was no longer able to restrain Jing Cang, and since she was a member of the Eastern Palace, Yu Shuang and Jing Yi would not dare to attack her blatantly at this time.
And she will also bring some troops with her.
She dressed simply and prepared to go out, but Jing Cang stopped her and said, "I'll go with you."
If she wanted to leave the palace, she had to get his permission. She asked for it this morning and he agreed, but he didn't say at that time that he would go with her.
Jing Cang may have seen her doubts, and said thoughtfully: "Prince Ning is not a good person. Your father should find a better place to live. I have a house outside the palace on Zhuque Street. It is quiet in the hustle and bustle. He can rest there for a while."
Yu Fei heard the hidden meaning in his words.
Jing Yi is about to be in trouble, so in order to avoid involving the Yu family, he moves Yu's father to his own camp. If someone uses Yu Shuang's marriage to accuse the Yu family of participating in a rebellion when Prince Ning falls, it would seem empty and powerless - Yu's father is obviously closer to the prince's father-in-law.
Yu Fei thought it was feasible, but Jing Cang was still hesitating and ordered people to either hold or carry the gifts he had prepared in advance.
She had a premonition of something, and asked knowingly, "You and Prince Ning don't look like brothers, so why do you have to give so many gifts when you go to his house?"
Jing Cang glanced at her, seemingly dissatisfied with her teasing, "Guzhu Purple Bamboo, Yazhou Mengding, Jingting Green Snow, Hetian Jade, Lantian Jade, Red Jade, look at these tea leaves and jades, who likes them the most?"
Yu Fei was silent.
She had only been in contact with Yu's father for a short time, but she knew from what the servants had heard that Yu's father loved tea and jade.
"Guzhu Purple Bamboo Shoots", the first time she heard it was from Yang Zhi, who said Jing Cang liked to drink this kind of tea.
Thinking of this, I asked unconsciously: "Do you like Guzhu Purple Bamboo Shoots?"
"Not bad." Jing Cang said, "What's wrong?"
Yu Fei wanted to thank Jing Cang for his kindness to Yu's father, but Yang Zhi's presence was like a sticky glue on her mouth, and she couldn't open her mouth.
Silence all the way.
Seeing that she was not interested, Jing Cang thought for a moment and said, "If you don't like the taste of Guzhu purple bamboo shoots, then I won't drink it anymore."
Yu Fei looked at him in surprise. She loved freedom, so she naturally didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs, even in love.
Perhaps her depression affected him, she smiled: "No."
Seeing her happy, Jing Cang took her hand and took credit like a child: "I have never cared so much about my father, the emperor and my mother, Feifei, I love everyone in my family, you have to understand."
Yu Fei gave him a kiss on the cheek.
He wanted to press on and kiss her little mouth, but she covered his mouth with a handkerchief, "Your lip balm will smudge and your mouth will get swollen, which won't look good." She gently wiped off the rouge on his cheek.
Ning Wangfu, with its carved beams and painted rafters, strange rocks and unusual scenery, is much more magnificent than the East Palace. It is very much like the nest made by Jing Yi, the colorful peacock, but it also conforms to the rules of etiquette, revealing his wolf-like intentions that are lurking and waiting for an opportunity.
The banquet was held in a pavilion on a rockery. It was empty and cold. Yu Fei quietly covered Jing Cang's legs with a blanket.
Jing Yi seemed to have seen through it, and said with a fake smile: "My Royal Highness, you came uninvited. I am not prepared yet, so I have to trouble you to stay in the pavilion."
He said he was sorry, but his expression was blank, and he seemed to be mockingly proud. He was one of the culprits who caused Jing Cang to become what he is today.
Yu Fei rolled his eyes in his heart, thinking that maybe this beast in human form heard that they were coming and deliberately ate outside to make them suffer.
Jing Cang quietly held her hand, as if using his inner strength to drive away the cold for her, and waves of heat flowed through her body.
At the dinner table, Jing Yi toasted and flattered Yu's father, who thought he had found a good son-in-law. He was beaming with joy, but occasionally asked Jing Cang for his opinion. Jing Cang seldom talked about Jing Yi and Yu Shuang's marriage, but he toasted Yu's father with a glass of wine, the glass was slightly lower than Yu's, which looked like a gift from a junior.
After three rounds of drinks, Jing Cang proposed to take Yu's father to live somewhere else. Jing Yi nodded happily. Yu Fei felt relieved. He didn't expect that he and Yu Shuang were so easy to talk to.
Just when I thought Yu Shuang was still as quiet and graceful as Bai Hua tonight, she suddenly became naughty, stood up and held her arm, saying, "Sister, we haven't seen each other for a long time. I miss you so much. I want to let you stay at home for a few days. What do you think?"
Yu Fei didn't dare to say no. Yu Shuang held her elbow with one hand and pointed the sharp dagger at her chest with the other hand.