051 Ambiguous
To Li Yang's surprise, Song Hezhou did not pursue the matter further.
He sighed and looked intently at Li Yang: "You stubborn mule, you'd better keep being this defiant."
"I will."
Song Hezhou was so angry with her that he put his hands on his hips and spun around on the spot: "Stay in Shou'an Palace for the next two days. The Sixth Princess likes you quite a bit, so you should hang around her all the time. Be careful what you say and don't make the Empress Dowager angry. I'll find a way to get you out of here in a couple of days."
Li Yang wanted to ask him more about the situation outside, but then she heard Cui Yu calling her cautiously from afar: "Madam Yuan, the Sixth Princess is looking for you."
Song Hezhou waved his hand: "Go in."
Li Yang nodded and followed Cui Yu back to the Sixth Princess's bedroom.
Little Peach was already awake. After having breakfast with the Sixth Princess, she was sitting on a small stool, tilting her head back as the Sixth Princess applied powder to her face. Seeing Li Yang come in, Little Peach blinked excitedly: "Mother, do you think Little Peach looks pretty?"
"It's beautiful, our little peach is the prettiest." Li Yang sat down next to the two of them: "Did your sixth aunt draw this for you? Did you thank her?"
Little Peach said, "Yes, thank you already. Thank you again." She jumped off the little stool, ran to the Sixth Princess's side, hugged her arm and shook it, looking up at her with her little face: "Thank you, Sixth Aunt~"
The Sixth Princess patted her head, indicating that Cui Yu should take her to the side hall to play.
"I heard that Song Hezhou has also come?" the Sixth Princess asked when only the two of them remained in the hall.
Li Yang said, "Yes, he came to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, so they came together."
The Sixth Princess smiled and placed the breakfast she had specially set aside in front of Li Yang: "Song Hezhou is usually lazy. Even when he comes to pay his respects, he doesn't usually come so early in the morning. Today, he did this to see you, didn't he?"
Li Yang took a bite of the steamed bun before replying, "You have such sharp eyes; he even managed to fool the Empress Dowager."
The sixth princess laughed and said, "It's not that I have a sharp eye."
It's about you; I'm just thinking about it a bit more.
Li Yang didn't get the rest of her sentence. With a bun in her mouth, she mumbled, "What is that?"
The Sixth Princess said, "It's nothing. I heard that Song Hezhou and you have some history. Why don't you tell me about it?"
“It’s more like a tragic fate,” Li Yang swallowed the bun in her mouth, took a sip of soup, and put down her chopsticks only after she was about five or six tenths full. “You know about his Butterfly Fairy, right?”
The sixth princess nodded: "I've heard of it."
Because he was the late-in-life son of Song's parents, Song Hezhou was pampered from birth, which naturally fostered his arrogant, willful, selfish, and domineering personality. But one day, Song Hezhou suddenly started searching the entire capital for some butterfly fairy. Such an ethereal name was completely unrelated to Song Hezhou, and his family thought he was possessed by an evil spirit, even hiring a shaman to exorcise it for him.
Later, unable to resist Song Hezhou's insistence, and since Song Hezhou showed no other unusual behavior besides the Butterfly Fairy incident, the Song family went along with it.
The Sixth Princess exclaimed in surprise, "Yangyang, his Butterfly Fairy, could it be you?"
"If it were really me, do you think I'd still be here right now?" Li Yang countered.
The Sixth Princess thought about it and agreed. Song Hezhou wasn't the type to keep her in check. If he had confirmed that Li Yang was indeed his butterfly fairy, he would have kidnapped her long ago.
"So, you are..."
Li Yang said, "I know some of the things involved. Lord Song is only showing me some respect because of this Butterfly Fairy."
The Sixth Princess rested her left arm on the table, propped her chin on her hand, and asked curiously, "Then tell me, who exactly is this Butterfly Fairy, that she can make Song Hezhou so fascinated?"
"That's not quite right. At most, she was just Lord Song's...confidante."
“I understand, just like Yangyang is my confidante, right?” the Sixth Princess said with a smile.
Li Yang smiled in agreement: "Sixth Princess, you are too kind. I am not worthy to be your confidante."
"As expected, Yangyang still dislikes me," the Sixth Princess said, lifting her sleeve as if to wipe away tears. "Alas, my sincere feelings have been misplaced. I am not worthy of Yangyang."
Li Yang was amused by her, but said disdainfully, "Your acting is too fake. At the very least, you should sing a line when you're acting."
As she was about to sing, Li Yang was so startled that she covered her mouth and said with a smile, "Don't say anything, just keep quiet."
It wasn't until her palm touched the Sixth Princess's warm lips that Li Yang realized the Sixth Princess before her was not a simple woman like herself; she was the Divine Healer, Song Xi, a man.
The two of them froze in shock.
The Sixth Princess reacted quickly, grabbing Li Yang's wrist as she withdrew her hand: "Yang Yang."
Li Yang struggled to break free, but the Sixth Princess's hands were like iron chains, firmly binding her hands and preventing her from moving an inch.
"Yangyang." The sixth princess called her name repeatedly, as if possessed.
His eyes were glazed over, as if he were possessed.
Li Yang's heart pounded at her sudden change of heart.
She struggled desperately and finally broke free from the sixth princess's grasp.
Li Yang stood up and took two steps back: "Sixth Princess, I'm sorry, it was my rudeness."
The sixth princess gave a wry smile, raised her left hand to touch her nose, and covered her lips: "It's my fault. I couldn't control myself."
Countless frustrations welled up in my heart, but in the end, they only turned into a sigh.
A knock on the door broke the silence between the two. The Sixth Princess said, "Come in."
It was the same woman Li Yang had met yesterday.
She walked to the sixth princess's side, whispered something in her ear, and waited for the sixth princess's reply.
The Sixth Princess remained silent, seemingly lost in thought for a long time, yet it also felt like only a moment had passed. She looked up at Li Yang and said, "Yuan Chongjing has arrived. She's right outside my palace. Yangyang, go and see her. Just follow her."
The woman glanced at Li Yang, curtsied to the Sixth Princess, and then turned and walked away.
Li Yang nodded to the Sixth Princess in thanks. As she followed the woman past the door, she inexplicably glanced back. She saw the Sixth Princess leaning back in her chair, her hands covering her face, radiating a silent sorrow.
Li Yang's heart skipped a beat, and she felt an urge to stay and keep her company.
But Yuan Chongjing was still outside.
She hesitated for only a moment before walking out with firm steps.
Outside the courtyard wall of the main hall was a long corridor. Beyond the corridor lay a peach grove. It was late autumn now, and the trees were bare, leaving only rough, dry branches that creaked in the wind.
From a distance, Li Yang spotted Yuan Chongjing in his official robes, pacing outside the woods. She ran over and exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Jing, what brings you here? Are you attending court today?"
Yuan Chongjing supported her as she rushed towards him: "Yes, it's started today. I was just wondering how to get to you, and here you are."
Li Yang said, "It was the Sixth Princess who said you were looking for me and sent someone to bring me here."
"How was it? Did the Empress Dowager give you any trouble?" Yuan Chongjing looked her up and down and asked.
Li Yang said, "No, Xiao Taozi and I are staying with the Sixth Princess. The Empress Dowager has so many things to do, she doesn't have the time for that."
"That's good." After saying that, Yuan Chongjing paused and asked in a low voice, "Is the Sixth Princess Song Xi?"
Li Yang's smile was somewhat stiff as she looked down at the withered grass on the ground without answering.
This was her secret, and since she refused to answer, Yuan Chongjing didn't press her further. It was just one answer anyway.
He didn't have much time left, so Yuan Chongjing quickly said, "Yang Chenshi and Qiuqiu have been dealt with. I obtained their confessions. They pointed out that this was a scheme devised by the Third Prince to prevent the Crown Prince from returning. I have already submitted the evidence to His Majesty."
Although the Fifth Prince wasn't caught, the presence of the Third Prince proves their innocence. It's believed that Li Yang and Xiao Taozi will be able to leave the palace soon.
"They got the evidence so quickly? Weren't they executed by order of the Empress Dowager?"
Yuan Chongjing said, "I've found some ways, you don't need to worry about it."
Li Yang knew he was capable; a confession shouldn't be a problem for him. "What about Grand Tutor Lu? Is he alright?"
On the day the two were about to enter the palace, Yuan Chongjing asked Jinghe to seek help from Grand Tutor Lu. Later, it was Grand Tutor Lu who entered the palace at the right time, diverting the emperor's attention and easing the situation.
Yuan Chongjing said, "Grand Tutor Lu is getting old and has wanted to retire to his hometown for many years. His Majesty couldn't bear to part with him, so he allowed him to stay in the capital to live out his days. This time, he has once again asked to return to his hometown, and His Majesty, moved by his sentiments, has granted his request. Once he leaves, he may never come back."
Grand Tutor Lu had been a teacher for many years, known for his integrity and dedication to public service. His students were numerous, and even many officials in the court had received his instruction. Hearing of his departure, Li Yang couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Yuan Chongjing noticed the change in her mood and said, "By the way, Jinghe couldn't find Grand Tutor Lu back then. She said it was the young master of the Duke of Zhongyong's mansion who helped her find him. Isn't the Duchess of Zhongyong your aunt? Should I go and send some thank-you gifts over?"
The young master of the Duke of Zhongyong's mansion must be Zhao Chi.
Li Yang said, "No need. He's not helping us. I'll think of something else later."
"you mean?"
Li Yang said, "Last time, I took Xiao Taozi and Jinghe to my aunt's birthday celebration. I guess Zhao Chilai came to help because of Jinghe. But Zhao Chilai is of such high status, I'm afraid Jinghe will suffer in the future." Duke Zhongyong has four daughters and only one son, Zhao Chilai. His future wife certainly can't be someone like Jinghe.
Seeing the worry on her face, Yuan Chongjing said, "No one can control matters of the heart, it's like..."
"Like what?"
"It's nothing, you can go back now, I should leave the palace."
Li Yang's curiosity was defeated by her reluctance to part, and she looked at him and said, "You don't need to worry too much about us. The Sixth Princess is very good to me and Xiao Taozi. We can leave the palace later."
Fearing he might misunderstand her relationship with the Sixth Princess, Li Yang quickly added, "Of course, it would be even better if we could get out sooner."
Yuan Chongjing chuckled: "Let's go back."
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