Chapter 22 Did he hear his confession?
The room was still filled with a pleasant fragrance when Zhong Changjun quietly pushed open the door.
The emperor appeared casual, his white robe draped over the side of the table, his fingers tapping lightly on a sky-blue teacup as if deep in thought. His eyes held a profound depth, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Prince Anle and Miss Helan have arrived and request an audience with His Majesty."
The room remained silent for a long time. Zhong Changjun couldn't help but wonder what must have happened here in such a short time since Miss Yuan Er left in tears. However, the Emperor's expression did not seem to be one of great anger.
After much deliberation, Zhong Changjun finally suppressed his doubts.
After a few breaths, the king finally uttered the word, "Summon."
Prince Anle, Xiao Cunmao, was tidying his clothes outside. Although the palace gates in front of him were closed, his heart began to race.
He said to the person beside him, "After Attendant Zhong summons you and me inside, Miss Helan must be respectful and choose her words carefully. If you do not say anything, it is better not to say anything at all."
To be summoned by the king is the highest honor.
In particular, this is a crucial time for choosing a successor.
His Majesty today is fond of Buddhism and practices the path of detachment from worldly desires. He often retreats to Buddhist temples for quiet contemplation, appearing as a recluse detached from the mortal world. Back when the founding emperor was on his deathbed and about to pass on the throne, His Majesty repeatedly declined the throne. Three years after ascending the throne, His Majesty had already begun searching for a successor among the imperial clan, all in order to pass on the throne as soon as possible, leave the court, and retire to the countryside.
What people in the world crave but cannot obtain, is of little consequence to this emperor.
Since the emperor revealed his intention to select a worthy successor, Xiao Cunmao, like the other members of the Xiao family, all hoped to ascend to that supreme position.
During this time, he further curbed his desire for pleasure, made many friends among scholars, established a refined reputation, and devoted himself to rites, music, archery, horsemanship, calligraphy, and mathematics.
Now that the noblewoman of the Helan clan has just entered Luoyang, the emperor has already summoned the two of them to meet him, which shows how highly the emperor regards them.
Of all days, I had to go up the mountain today...
Xiao Cunmao glanced at the woman beside him, recalling the events of the afternoon, a worried expression appearing between his brows. He was truly concerned about the upcoming audience with the emperor.
The door opened, and Zhong Changshi bowed and gestured, "Your Highness, Miss Helan, please."
The two approached breathlessly, the only sound being the soft rustling of their robes against the floor tiles. A few feet away from the table, they knelt down in worship.
Helan Zhen bent down, her head touching the soft silk of the skirt in front of her. The scene of being pressed down by Yuan Chaolu in the water, which she could not get out of her mind, was still vivid in her mind. The cool lake water entered her nose and pressed down on her, making it hard for her to breathe. The intense feeling of suffocation made her throat feel hot at this moment.
How did Chaolu go from being a slave girl to becoming Miss Yuan? And even more so, Miss Zhou, who tamed the celestial horse on the martial arts field?
He tried many methods, including seeking help from the Prince of Anle and the Prince of Yan, but still could not catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Horse's potential.
She, a lowly maid, was able to enter and leave the martial arts review grounds as usual, and even steal the spotlight from His Majesty...
He Lanzhen was absent-minded. Just as she was about to get up, a hand reached out and suddenly grabbed her sleeve.
Xiao Cunmao's eyes were filled with shock: The Emperor has not yet allowed the two of us to rise.
Helan Zhen suddenly came to her senses, hurriedly knelt down, the pearls and jade in her hair clinking together, the crisp sound echoing in the room, extremely jarring, and only stopping after a long time.
The room was quiet.
He Lanzhen was already sweating profusely, feeling a deep, unsettling gaze pressing down on her. She involuntarily bent her waist even lower, almost touching the ground.
My elder brother warned me in his letter: His Majesty is the same age as me. He has been leading troops since he was young and has now ascended to the top position. He has relied on ruthless methods to govern his subordinates.
"When you enter the capital, remember that you must not behave improperly in front of the emperor, and you must not make any mistakes that would offend the emperor."
Unexpectedly, such a big mistake occurred on her first meeting with the emperor. She couldn't help but feel resentful towards Yuan Chaolu, as her rudeness today was all caused by her.
After a long silence, a gentle voice rang out, "This must be Miss Helan?"
It was the Attendant Zhong Changjun who spoke.
He Lanzhen responded softly and greeted him respectfully.
Zhong Changjun asked, "The Prince of Anle and Miss Helan were a full quarter of an hour late for their audience with the Emperor today. Why was that?"
Helan Zhen felt a chill run down her spine and said, "Your Majesty, when I arrived, I was in the back mountain of Chanxu Temple when someone bumped into me. I was afraid that my attire would be disheveled and disgrace Your Majesty, so I tidied myself up, which is why I was delayed..."
Her voice trailed off, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her sleeve, as if afraid of being blamed by her superiors.
The emperor's voice then came: "What is the matter?"
His voice was gentle and peaceful, like a refreshing breeze, without a trace of anger.
Helan Zhen said, "On the way up the mountain, I had a slight disagreement with a girl who came to Chanxu Temple to cultivate, because of the journey."
Before he could finish speaking, the person above said, "Come closer, let me see you."
Helan Zhen glanced at Prince Anle out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that he was signaling that she could go, she straightened up and saw that the spot where she had just been kneeling was now covered in sweat.
She kept her face down and crawled forward on her knees until she reached the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the emperor's robe, and Zhong Changjun signaled her to stop.
"Raise your head so that I can see you more clearly."
Helan Zhen heard the voice coming from above, with a faint smile, as if the matter from earlier had already been forgotten.
But the emperor was scrutinizing her, looking at her very intently.
At this moment, she was only wearing a plain robe that she had taken from her maid, and her hair was only hastily tied into a single bun. In the eyes of the emperor, she would probably be considered to be poor and shabby.
She prided herself on her beauty, believing herself to be among the most beautiful of all the noble ladies in Luoyang. But faced with such a direct scrutiny, though she lowered her eyes, a blush gradually rose to her cheeks, eventually turning a deep, almost blood-red.
"Don't be afraid of me, explain the cause and effect of the matter to me."
He shifted his posture, leaning lazily against the armrest, the fingertips of his jade thumb ring lightly tapping the armrest.
Helan Zhen said, "I am truly afraid that this matter is tainted and may offend Your Majesty's ears. However, on the mountain path on the way here, I had a disagreement with a woman. That woman was vulgar and insulted me first. I originally wanted to settle things peacefully and take the initiative to back down, but I never expected that she would actually hurt me."
As she spoke, she lightly raised her wrist, revealing a wound on her pale wrist, cut by the sharp edge of a stone, which had not yet been bandaged.
"I know I am late for the audience, and my crime is unforgivable. But that woman is so unruly and domineering, and I have been wronged." As she finished speaking, she became genuinely moved, covered her face with her hand, and gradually choked up.
"Is that so, Prince Anle?"
Xiao Cunmao, kneeling, felt a sudden jolt in his chest when the emperor asked him a question. His sweaty hands, resting on the ground, clenched several times before he finally replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed so. Miss Helan was stopped by that woman, and there are many people present who can testify to this..."
Before the words were even finished, a cold voice rang out, "She deceived the emperor, and you deceived the emperor too?"
"Your Majesty!" Xiao Cunmao's expression changed, and he hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, I did indeed see those two arguing from afar, and later Miss Helan was pushed into the water by that woman..."
The emperor asked, "Did you hear what they said with your own ears?"
Xiao Cunmao stopped speaking, lowered his head and shook his head.
Helan Zhen had initially thought His Majesty was being lenient and inquiring about this matter to seek justice for him, but the sudden question threw him into a panic. He repeatedly kowtowed and bowed, but soon his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his tongue trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word in defense. Since the Emperor had questioned him about "deceiving the Emperor," he must know something.
"Your Majesty, I was ignorant of etiquette and acted presumptuously. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness..."
"You have no manners."
That one sentence sealed her guilt.
The Emperor said, "Zhongchangjun, come here."
Helan Zhen's face turned pale, her heart filled with doubt and uncertainty. She thought of Chaolu going up the mountain to say that he had important business... Could it be that he was going to see the emperor?
After a while, Zhong Changjun's voice came from above.
"The marriage between the Xiao and Helan families was originally requested by the General of the West from His Majesty. However, it is now seen that Miss Helan is frivolous and rude, and lacks virtue. She is not worthy of the position of Princess Consort. Considering the General of the West's merits in defending the border, although he will not be severely punished, the marriage agreement needs to be reconsidered and the wedding date will be postponed."
"Until a final conclusion is reached, Miss Helan, please stay at home and reflect on your actions. You must not break any more taboos."
Helan Zhen has always been proud and arrogant. Since arriving in the capital, she has held lavish banquets and made a great show of it, all to demonstrate the prestige of the Helan family and to announce to the world that she, the Princess Consort of Anle, has entered the capital. But these words are tantamount to stripping her of all dignity.
If my elder brother knew about this, he would surely...
All she could hear was the chaotic pounding of her heart; nothing else.
Zhong Changjun said coldly, "Miss Helan, please go."
As for Prince Anle, he was also found guilty of being a bystander and negligent, and was punished by the emperor with a three-month salary deduction and was also expelled from the palace.
The two left one after the other, and the room finally became quiet.
Zhong Changjun went to the emperor's side to make tea. He saw that the emperor's expression was calm and peaceful. In fact, although he seemed to be questioning the emperor, he had only said a few words lightly. From beginning to end, there was no anger on the emperor's face.
Zhong Changjun said, "This servant remembers what His Majesty said before: when choosing a princess for a member of the imperial family, talent is important, but character is fundamental. Is His Majesty not satisfied with Miss Helan?"
The emperor took a sip of tea and said, "He, Helan Yi, is brave and valiant in the military camp, yet he raised such a sister. If she were my sister, she would not dare to lie to my face..." His voice trailed off, and a clear sound was heard as the porcelain cup was placed on the teacup.
He suddenly thought of Yuan Chaolu.
At least Yuan Chaolu only used his wicked intentions on matters of love and sex.
Zhong Changjun said, "Your Majesty is truly working hard."
He knew that during this period, His Majesty had been personally selecting suitable wives for the princes, because he valued kinship highly and had shown special favor to his relatives since ascending the throne.
"Your Majesty, Abbot Yinghui has arrived."
A figure appeared outside. It was Abbot Yinghui, who had come to discuss the Emperor's nightmare.
This highly skilled monk, who is well-versed in medicine, has a set of acupuncture techniques that can alleviate nightmares. This morning, he performed acupuncture on the emperor and passed on the techniques to him. Now, he has come to present a box of silver needles.
As dusk approached, after Ying Hui left, the Emperor looked at the setting sun outside the window and suddenly said, "Today Lu Xuanmo came to teach the zither, but Yuan Chaolu went up the mountain in the afternoon and did not attend the lesson."
Zhong Changjun was taken aback by this sudden question, and then replied, "Yes."
**
As dusk deepened, the bamboo shadows turned a dim yellow.
When Zhong Changjun accompanied the emperor down to the Zen temple halfway up the mountain, the sky had already darkened considerably, and a wind was beginning to blow, suggesting that it was about to rain.
The courtyard was deep and secluded, with only a dim yellow light shining from the east wing. Zhong Changjun noticed something strange: Yuan Chaolu, who usually loved to keep her doors and windows open, had them tightly shut tonight, as if she were deliberately avoiding someone.
The main house was lit with candles.
The memorials on the desk were piled up like a small mountain. Zhong Changjun stepped forward to sort them out, and then, as if remembering something, said, "It seems that Miss Yuan Er's homework for today has not yet been submitted. This servant will go and urge her."
The emperor stood by the desk, casually flipping through the memorials. He stopped on one of the sheets of Xuan paper. This letter was left by his uncle, Lu Xuanmo. The letter was filled with uncontrollable anger, scolding him for being out of his mind and troubling him to come and teach such an arrogant and rude woman.
Lu Xuanmo waited at the Zen temple for a full hour in the afternoon, but Yuan Chaolu did not appear. He then turned and left, saying that such an obedient disciple should be personally taught by the emperor in the future.
Xiao Zhuo narrowed his eyes, and then heard footsteps approaching from outside. Zhong Changjun reported, "Your Majesty, Miss Yuan the Second... is keeping the door closed and will not see me, saying she does not want to come."
Xiao Zhuo said, "Let's go again."
Zhong Changjun withdrew with his hand on his abdomen. After a while, footsteps came from outside again. "Young Master, the person has arrived."
The woman in plain clothes followed behind, taking one step at a time. Xiao Zhuo heard sobbing and then looked up to see her standing there with her head down, tears in her eyes, crying so hard that tears were overflowing from her eyes, and the corners of her eyes were red.
Xiao Zhuo said, "Why are you crying like this? Who bullied you?"
The woman paused in wiping away her tears, her eyes clearly glistening with moisture.
Xiao Zhuo smiled and said, "I heard from Zhong Changjun this afternoon that you came to see me, but left in tears. What happened?"
Yuan Chaolu lowered her eyes, concealing the doubt in them. In the afternoon, she went to find the Prince of Yan, clearly making quite a commotion to ensure he woke up.
Why is he acting this way now? Could it be that I failed to awaken him? Or is it that the Prince of Yan clearly heard those words but is deliberately pretending not to hear them?
Yuan Chaolu sobbed and sat down next to him, "Miss Helan bullied me..."
Her face was ashen and she looked pitiful. As she spoke, she leaned over and grasped his arm, tears welling up in her eyes and falling onto his sleeve. She recounted the events leading up to her being bullied by the river from her perspective.
Xiao Zhuo watched her wipe her tears with his sleeve and said, "I will inform His Majesty of this matter myself. Now that you have tamed the heavenly horse, His Majesty will surely grant your request and will also uphold justice for your grievances."
Her tears stopped instantly: "Is it really possible? Is Young Master willing to trouble His Majesty for such a small matter as mine?"
"nature."
Yuan Chaolu's eyes widened slightly in surprise. His expression was serious, and he seemed genuine. He had been listening quietly to her since the beginning. She loosened her grip on his sleeve.
Regardless of whether the Prince of Yan heard those "sincere" words in the afternoon, since his attitude has improved, it shows that he has already let bygones be bygones about his approaching him under a false identity.
As long as he doesn't hate himself, that's fine.
Xiao Zhuo took a book from the bookshelf and unfolded it in front of her. Yuan Chaolu, with red eyes, said, "I was bullied. Will you still make me do my homework today, young master?"
Xiao Zhuo smiled slightly: "This matter is one thing, that matter is another. First, copy down the sixth chapter of the 'Treatise on the Qin' that you are going to learn, and I will explain it to you."
Yuan Chaolu sobbed as she reached for her brush. Suddenly, she remembered that he hadn't heard her confession that afternoon. It didn't matter that he hadn't heard it, but hadn't she wasted a kiss?
The candle burned slowly, and the sound of rain tapping on the window gradually filled the air.
In fact, Yuan Chaolu was completely wrong; Xiao Zhuo did not completely let bygones be bygones regarding what happened in the afternoon.
As always, he felt offended, uncomfortable, and angry at the sheer size of her kiss. No woman had ever dared to get close to him and do such inappropriate things.
With her beside him now, he felt as if he had a burning ember beside him.
But all of this was ultimately because his true identity was not revealed.
If we summon the Prince of Yan to our presence tomorrow and confront him to clarify everything, some things will naturally be resolved.
Until then, all he had to do was keep everything as usual.
Xiao Zhuo took a book from the bookshelf, turned around and stood beside the desk, pausing to stare at it.
The girl rested her cheek on her arm, leaned against the table, her brush still in her hand, but her eyes were closed, as if she had fallen asleep.
Xiao Zhuo called her a few times, but she did not respond. Her head was covered in sweat, her hair was disheveled, and her eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, as if she were trapped in a deep nightmare.
A few murmurs escaped her lips, as if in extreme pain, "Mother, Father..."
Nightmare syndrome causes a person to be trapped in a dream, as if lost in a fog of confusion, repeatedly tormented by painful past events. Forcibly waking a person may not restore their mental state and could instead damage their heart and blood vessels.
The last time she had a nightmare, she was trapped in a dream where she was bullied by people and cats when she was a child. What past events did she dream about this time?
Xiao Zhuo squatted down, and a line of wet tears appeared on his hand. He gazed at her for a long time before finally picking her up from the ground.
He went into the inner room to the bed, gently laid the person down, and then took the box of silver needles that Abbot Yinghui had given him from a shelf on the side.
"I'll solve this for you this time."
Xiao Zhuo looked at the girl on the bed, bent down, placed one knee on the edge of the bed, and began to untie her skirt.
Summer dresses are already thin, and with a gentle tug on the sash, the hem spreads out like flower petals, highlighting a slender figure.
He used silver needles to seal one of her acupoints, preventing her from waking up temporarily. He then parted her clothes with his fingertips, revealing a large expanse of fair skin.
Xiao Zhuo's gaze was fixed solely on the acupuncture point. The needles remained steady and unwavering. After finishing the acupuncture on her collarbone, he inevitably caught a glimpse of her light blue undergarment. Through the fabric, her figure appeared as if mountains were breathing softly, revealing a hazy outline.
He glanced at it only once and then continued reading.
From the Yufu acupoint on the collarbone, to the Guanyuan and Qihai acupoints on the lower abdomen, and then to... the chest, where there are several more acupoints that need to be needled.
Xiao Zhuo stood tall by the bed, frowning as he looked down. The skirts of the person on the bed were spread out like clouds and draped over his own clothes.
He couldn't help but wonder if he really had to sacrifice so much?
"It hurts..." she murmured in pain in her dream.
Xiao Zhuo lowered himself down again, placed his palm on her shoulder blade, and gently massaged it, with a hint of soothing.
He raised an eyebrow and said softly, "It's an honor for Miss Yuan that the Emperor would personally administer acupuncture to you."
Without further hesitation, he raised his hand and began to unbutton her clothes.
-----------------------
Author's note: Prince Yan: Can we hurry up and get to tomorrow?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
