Having received his assignment, Boguer returned home with a gloomy expression, pondering all the way, wondering what his good brother was up to.
Back at the mansion, everything was as before. Lady Dong'e was still indifferent, showing no joy at the sight of her husband.
But for some reason, Boguor felt that Dong Eshi was acting strangely today; there seemed to be a hint of joy hidden beneath her cold expression.
This unusual situation made Boguor even more wary. He couldn't bear the thought of anything that could please Dong Eshi, and considering the task he had just taken on, he secretly became more vigilant.
This is bad, really bad. It seems something big is about to happen.
The order issued by Yunyi in the morning arrived outside the palace by noon. Upon receiving the order, these people began to take action.
At lunchtime, Boguer was still eating alone in the front yard. Despite being a married man, he lived like a lonely bachelor.
In the main courtyard, Dong'e Wan Ning felt sleepy after lunch, so she instructed Bi Qing that she needed to rest for a while and should not be disturbed by outsiders.
Biqing helped her mistress change into her nightgown, then withdrew after lowering the curtains. She knew her mistress's habits; she didn't like anyone standing beside her to disturb her sleep.
Incense was burning inside the room; it was Lingling incense, Dong'e Wanning's favorite. The scent was delicate and not overpowering, which suited Dong'e Wanning's character perfectly.
After having his meal, Boguor took a walk in the courtyard, still thinking about what had happened that morning.
As he walked, he went from the front yard to the back yard, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the main yard.
The courtyard was very quiet. Dong'e Wan Ning didn't like to have many people around her, so although she was a Fujin (a high-ranking concubine), she didn't have many servants in the courtyard.
Since their master needed to rest, they dared not disturb him and instead hid in the room to slack off.
Boguer entered the courtyard without any hindrance. Seeing the situation, he was puzzled. He didn't realize what was happening until he reached the door and saw that it was tightly closed.
Lady Dong'e had this habit: after lunch, she would sometimes take a short nap, and during this time she would dismiss the servants who were serving her.
Thinking of this, Boguor turned to leave. Since Dong Eshi was sleeping, there was no point in him coming over; he should just go back.
But as soon as he turned around, he heard voices inside. His expression changed, and Boguor gave Li Shu a wink before quietly going to the window.
The person inside was probably talking in their sleep; their voice was very soft, barely audible, and fragmented into incoherent sentences.
Boguer could only barely hear what was being said by pressing himself as close to the window as possible.
Upon hearing something shocking, a crack appeared on Bogor's expressionless face, and the atmosphere around him shifted.
There seemed to be no need to listen any longer. With anger and disappointment in his lowered eyelids, Boguer turned and left the courtyard, his back view revealing sadness.
After he left, the room immediately returned to silence. A woman dressed as a maid quietly crawled out from under the bed and did something next to the incense burner.
The faint fragrance was still as deep as ever, yet it seemed as if something had changed.
After the maid finished doing these things, she quickly left, and the room returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
The servants only knew that the prince came to check on the princess, saw that she was sleeping, and then left. No one knew what had happened in the main courtyard.
Suppressing these emotions, Boguer returned to the front yard and dejectedly locked himself in his study, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
Alcohol is indeed the best way to numb the brain, and with this, Boguer really has no worries.
Not long after Boguer left, Dong Ewanning woke up. For some reason, she felt that she had rested particularly well at noon and felt very relaxed after waking up.
She usually feels unwell after taking a midday nap, with a groggy head. This is why Dong Ewan Ning doesn't often take midday naps; she only rests when she's particularly sleepy at noon.
But today seemed different; she didn't feel uncomfortable at all after resting, which was strange.
Boguer spent the entire afternoon drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Several bottles of wine were empty in his study, and he was completely drunk.
When it was time for dinner, Li Shu came in to offer his advice. As soon as he entered the study, he noticed the empty bottles inside. His eyes flashed for a moment, but then he returned to normal.
He cupped his hands to the slumped man in the chair and said, "Sir, too much alcohol is bad for your health. It's almost time for dinner, so please stop drinking and go eat something!"
Seemingly finally showing some expression, Bogor closed his eyes and sighed, as if to vent all his emotions.
After a long while, he finally pushed aside the wine bottles on the table, got up, and walked out.
Li Shu quickly followed, fearing that his master might get drunk and cause trouble.
He stumbled and staggered his way toward the main courtyard, a path that Boguer knew very well.
He passed through this place countless times with high hopes, even though he knew he might run into trouble, but he still went through it happily the next time.
Thinking about how he had foolishly tried to "please" Lady Dong'e all these years, and how no matter how hard he tried, he could not warm her heart, Boguor found it funny. He had really been a fool all these years!
When Dong E Wan Ning arrived at the main courtyard, she was just about to have her meal when she saw the drunken Boguor enter. A look of disgust involuntarily appeared on her face.
Such an expression deeply stung Bogor, and the smile on his lips became much more forced.
Although she felt a bit disgusted, perhaps because she knew she was about to leave, Dong E Wan Ning took pity on Boguor and allowed him to stay for a meal.
Because there was an extra person, the original dishes were not enough, so Dong E Wan Ning asked someone to order a few more dishes from the kitchen.
After the dishes were served, the maids served them the food.
The atmosphere in the room was a bit strange. Li Shu stood beside Boguer, serving him seemingly without any order, yet cooperating with the maid who was serving the meal.
Both of them had normal expressions, and no one would suspect that they were up to something.
Li Shu behaved very respectfully, just like an ordinary eunuch.
But after seeing Dong E Wan Ning eat that bowl of osmanthus soup, Li Shu's lowered eyes lost a glimmer of light.
After having dinner and going for a walk together, Boguor dismissed the servants in the house, indicating that he had something to say.
Li Shu and Bi Qing stood at the door, while the rest of the people withdrew.
It was already dark, but Li Shu remained calm and composed. Bi Qing, however, felt a pang of anxiety at the door. She had a feeling that tonight might be...
I looked up at the sky with a panicked heart. The moon was surrounded by clouds tonight, and without moonlight, the courtyard was even darker. The lantern at the door could only illuminate the surrounding area, but the distance was still pitch black.
The sight of this environment made Biqing even more terrified. She felt as if a monster was watching her in the darkness.
Such an unusual sky seemed to foreshadow an extraordinary night.
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