Chapter 30 Acting Cute
Even as the banquet for beauties began, Chi Ying remained in a daze.
A seemingly casual address had a shocking effect on her, almost instantly shattering her ability to think.
The sound he had just uttered kept replaying in my mind, but the more I thought about it, the more confused I became. My thoughts were like being trapped in a quagmire of chaos, and I couldn't clearly make out which word he had said.
Yan Xuecui grasped her sweaty hand and asked with concern, "What's wrong? You've been distracted ever since."
Chi Ying's face turned pale. She curled her fingers, but couldn't break free from his palm. "No, it's nothing."
Yan Xuecui chuckled: "Still thinking about pitch-pot? Actually, if you want to learn, I can teach you."
Chi Ying agreed without really thinking, but she mustered up her courage, raised her eyes, and stared at him intently.
He has always been like this: calm and composed, always smiling and never showing his emotions.
She found that she could never truly understand him. She was often captivated by his gentle appearance, yet at other times she would break out in a cold sweat from a sudden, seemingly true but actually false remark he made.
This was the first time Yan Xuecui had felt such a direct and undisguised gaze from her. She took a sip of tea and finally couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Why do I feel like you're looking at me again?"
Chi Ying stared at him for a long time, her gaze never leaving him, but she still couldn't detect anything unusual in him.
His thoughts seemed to be forever hidden beneath that ever-present smile, never revealing a single detail.
Throughout the banquet, there were melodious songs and dances, and the music never stopped.
Yan Xuecui placed her palm on the back of her hand, and they couldn't help but intertwine their fingers on the table. "You see me every day, aren't you tired of seeing me? There are so many people around today, don't you want to look at other people?"
Chi Ying was slightly taken aback.
Was he saying all this to encourage her to integrate into the royal family and make more friends with princesses and queens?
She said with a hint of probing, "I didn't expect Your Highness to step in and protect me."
Yan Xuecui seemed surprised that she would have such thoughts. "We are husband and wife, aren't we?"
Chi Ying could see him less and less clearly.
A voice in her heart comforted her: if her identity had already been exposed, she wouldn't be sitting here so peacefully. The Earl of Changyuan and his wife would have been immediately imprisoned and investigated. The real Princess Zhao, Chi Yingyue, was guilty of an even more heinous crime for having an affair.
King Zhao would never so calmly tell her that they were husband and wife.
So, she must have misheard.
That character should be "颖" (Ying), but he called her "阿颖" (A-Ying).
The two words sound very similar in the dialect of Dajinjing, and his pronunciation is so light and casual that it's actually very difficult to tell them apart.
The daughters of the Chi family follow the generation name of Yue. The eldest sister is named Xinyue, and the uncles and aunts are named Jingyue, Jiaoyue, and Qingyue. Only the middle character is given special meaning by the elders and is their own name. Therefore, it is appropriate to call them "Yingyue" or "Aying".
He simply wanted to use more intimate terms to address his queen, nothing more.
Having figured this out, Chi Ying let out a deep breath and slowly calmed her emotions.
Having just experienced such a rollercoaster of emotions, she had no heart to appreciate the beautiful music, dance, and delicious food before her.
Princess Yu Xi's desk was right next to her. She had just gone to help the Eighth Prince and the Pei family girl who was being betrothed to him arrange a chance encounter. She only heard about this when she returned and looked at Chi Ying with a sense of apology.
"Seventh Sister-in-law, I'm sorry. If I had known you didn't like pitch-pot, I wouldn't have forced you to come." She sighed. "If I had been with you just now, they wouldn't have dared to embarrass you in public..."
Chi Ying shook her head and smiled, "It was just a joke, nothing embarrassing, Princess, you don't need to take it to heart."
Princess Yu Xi raised her wine glass generously, "Seventh Sister-in-law, this glass is for you, as an apology."
Chi Ying didn't want to offend the princess, but remembering the lesson she learned from being drunk after just three cups last time, she only touched the cup with her lips and didn't dare to swallow it.
Princess Yu Xi drank it all in one gulp and said with a smile, "This is pear snow wine, it's the sweetest and most refreshing, isn't it delicious?"
Chi Ying was slightly taken aback; it was actually Pear Snow Wine.
Seeing Princess Yuxi empty her wine cup in one gulp, she licked her lips suspiciously and discovered a faint pear blossom fragrance in the wine, completely different from the taste of the wine that Prince Zhao had given her last time.
That night, all she tasted in the wine was its intensity and spiciness.
She glanced at King Zhao discreetly.
Yan Xuecui remained calm and casually said, "Yu Xi, your sister-in-law can't hold her liquor, don't urge her to drink anymore."
This time, Princess Yuxi obediently refrained from trying to persuade her again.
Chi Ying held the wine glass and took another sip. The taste on her tongue was fragrant and mellow, indeed different from that night.
So King Zhao lied to her? That wine wasn't actually Pear Snow Wine?
But why would he do that?
After thinking it over, apart from her lips being a little swollen and red, everything seemed to be the same after that night. King Zhao's attitude towards her remained the same, and they even kissed many more times afterward.
Excluding the possibility that she might have revealed her identity, could it be that he lured her into drinking just to kiss her?
Why would a prince like him do such a thing?
Chi Ying felt as if she were trapped in a strange, confusing loop, unable to escape it.
However, one thing is certain: she is indeed not good at drinking.
I only took a small sip just now, but now I feel the effects of the alcohol kicking in, my cheeks are slightly flushed, and my chest feels like it's burning with a dark fire.
Is it really because she has a very low alcohol tolerance?
Yan Xuecui stroked her palm and noticed it was a little hot, so she frowned and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Chi Ying shook her head. "No."
It just makes my face flush a little, but it's nowhere near enough to make me drunk.
Yan Xuecui said, "Your palms are very hot."
Chi Ying: "..."
This person's insight is truly admirable.
She said helplessly, "I just had some soup, so it's a little hot, but it's okay."
Throughout the banquet, wine glasses clinked and the concubines and noble ladies chatted and laughed, but no one was like her, getting dizzy after just a little wine on their tongues. She was afraid people would laugh at her if she told anyone.
Being very close, Yan Xuecui caught a faint fragrance, as if it were coming from her hair. "You wore a peony in your hair?"
Chi Ying nodded: "Yes, Her Majesty the Empress bestowed flowers, and I chose a silver-red jade-like one."
Hearing his sudden question, and remembering the Soul-Separating Pill in the wooden box, Chi Ying's heart tightened. She moved slightly closer to him and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Is something wrong?"
Her soft body pressed against him, and the peony on the top of the girl's hair became even more fragrant and rich. Although the room was surrounded by a variety of flowers, and the fragrance of flowers could easily interfere with his sense of smell, he still keenly noticed another kind of subtle fragrance, different from the floral scent.
The fragrance was very faint, and it didn't even seem to be attached to the peony on her head. It was more like the fragrance that one picks up from someone passing by.
Yan Xue asked, "Did you have any close contact with anyone today?"
Chi Ying was puzzled, but she still tried to recall: "I met several of my brothers and sisters-in-law, three princesses, Consort Li, Consort Wen... I only had more contact with Princess Yu Xi. I just greeted the others casually and there was no other interaction."
Yan Xuecui couldn't discern much for the time being, and after a moment of contemplation, she said, "If you feel unwell, remember to let me know in advance."
Chi Ying said softly, "Okay."
After several rounds of drinks, another song and dance performance came to an end.
Yan Xue Cui suddenly asked, "Is someone watching us?"
Chi Ying became increasingly drunk and drowsy. She slowly came to her senses and glanced around. She noticed that Prince Xuan and his wife were sitting directly opposite her in the palace. When she looked up, she saw that Prince Xuan was also looking at her and even smiled slightly at her.
Chi Ying assumed it was just an unintentional exchange of glances, but seeing that the other person didn't respond, which seemed impolite, she forced a smile at them as well.
Seeing that she did not answer for a long time, Yan Xuecui tightened her jaw slightly and called her softly, "Your Highness."
Chi Ying blinked slowly, then looked away. "Your Highness?"
Yan Xuecui asked with a half-smile, "Who is the Princess looking at?"
Chi Ying merely exchanged a glance with Prince Xuan. There was no need to bring up such a trivial matter. Besides, she was dizzy and had no energy to explain to him. She could only say softly, "It's nothing. Everyone is just drinking."
Seeing the hint of displeasure on his face, Chi Ying grasped his hand and gently shook it. "Your Highness, when shall we return?"
She had already noticed someone leaving their seat; the figure resembled a princess.
Yan Xuecui: "You want to go back?"
Chi Ying's cheeks flushed, and her fingers rested on his arm as if seeking some kind of support: "...Mmm."
Yan Xuecui finally realized that something was wrong with her.
She was always cautious and reserved in front of him, even lying obediently in bed, but rarely taking the initiative with him.
Especially at a crowded palace banquet, given her shy and reserved nature, she would never take the initiative to hold his arm.
Even her voice slowed down, trailing off with a soft, sticky tone, revealing a hint of coquetry.
Yan Xuecui heard her slightly heavy breathing, picked up the wine cup in front of her and weighed it. There was still more than half a cup left. She had not heard her pour a second cup before, so she had only drunk this small sip of Pear Snow Wine from beginning to end today.
The potency of this mere pear-flavored brew is almost negligible.
That night, he gave her Ba Wang Zui, a strong liquor that border soldiers drank to keep warm in winter. Compared to that, this Pear Snow Brew is almost the same as a sweet drink. How could she get drunk so easily?
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the hall. Kang Fu, the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, walked quickly to the emperor with a solemn expression. He whispered a few words in the emperor's ear, and the Yongcheng Emperor's face changed drastically. He cursed, "This is utter nonsense!" and immediately got up to deal with the matter.
The people in the hall were confused and whispered among themselves.
Several other concubines and princes also received the news, and their expressions changed drastically as they hastily left their seats.
Cheng Huai had been keeping an eye on things outside the palace. Once he found out what had happened, he immediately returned to report.
The matter was of great importance, so he dared not make a big fuss. He simply leaned down and whispered, "Princess Rui was too drunk at the banquet and went to rest in a side hall. Unfortunately, the Eighth Prince just stumbled in, completely drunk..."
Having said that, Yan Xuecui understood.
The Eighth Prince is currently discussing marriage with the daughter of Pei Zhi, the Governor-General of Ji and Liao. Pei Zhi holds a large army and is in charge of the military and political affairs of the three towns of Jizhou, Baoding, and Liaodong. With such a powerful regional official as his father-in-law, how could he not attract envy?
Therefore, even if nothing happens between the Eighth Prince and Princess Rui, this marriage will definitely not be able to proceed.
This move not only ruined the Eighth Prince's marriage, but also sowed discord between Prince Rui and the Eighth Prince. As the Crown Prince's mother, Princess Rui's relationship with Prince Rui was further strained.
Today, the women all drank pear-flavored wine. Normally, they could drink a whole pot without getting this drunk. It's likely that Princess Rui was drugged, which is why she went to the side hall to rest in her drunken stupor...
While pondering, the girl couldn't help but move closer to him again.
Yan Xue pulled the person in her arms tighter and smelled the exotic fragrance of the peony on her head once again.
He pondered for a moment, then, as if remembering something, he looked down and asked her, "Did you have any contact with Princess Rui today?"
Princess Rui… Chi Ying remembered and murmured, “Yes, I picked the peony with her.”
Even when she speaks, her breath is scalding hot, falling softly onto the man's neck.
Yan Xue's Adam's apple bobbed as she asked in a deep voice, "Are your peonies displayed together?"
Chi Ying: "...Yes."
Yan Xuecui closed her eyes and sighed deeply, burning desire surging beneath her skin, the veins on her neck bulging.
-----------------------
Author's note: Here we go again, another 50 little red envelopes!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
