Chapter 326: Children's Words Are Not Guarded, Undercurrents Rise Again
Afternoons in Prince Rong's mansion always carried a languid warmth. The petals of the crabapple blossoms in the east courtyard were whirled by the wind, scattering softly on the bluestone slabs like a blanket of pink snow. Little Swallow sat on a bamboo chair in the porch, watching her nurse tease the toddlers, Mianrui and Mianxin. The twin lotus flowers embroidered on her brocade skirt swayed gently with her movements.
"Walk slowly, Rui'er, don't fall--" She raised her voice with a smile, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the jade pendant around her waist. It was a gift from Yongqi. The warm jade against her palm made her feel more at ease than the sun.
Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the tranquility. Mian Yi struggled to rush forward with her small body, followed by a maid in green clothes, who was Chuntao from Zhihua's side. The two of them were pulling and tugging, almost bumping into the flower stand under the corridor.
"Young Master! You can't go!" Chun Tao lowered her voice, but with unquestionable firmness, she gripped Mian Yi's arm tightly. "Those two young masters of the East Courtyard... they have evil intentions and will harm you!"
Mian Yi's face flushed with anxiety, her pigtails crooked, and she struggled and cried, "Let me go! I want to play with my brothers and sisters! They won't hurt me! Rui'er will share the candy with me, and Xin'er will even smile at me!"
"They were just pretending!" Chun Tao's voice became sharper. She glanced down the corridor with a hint of fear, but still refused to let go. "They just wanted to poison you so that they could monopolize the prince's love..."
“Bang!”
A resounding slap interrupted Chuntao's words. Little Swallow had stood before her without her noticing. Her eyes were wide, her face, which had only just smiled, now frosted with coldness. Her palms were slightly numb—she had just used all her strength.
"How dare you!" Xiaoyanzi's voice was as cold as ice. Her eyes swept across Chuntao's pale face and then fell on Mianyi's red eyes. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed by a needle. "Who taught you to frame the master like this? And how dare you say such mean things in front of the children!"
Chun Tao was hit so hard that her head tilted to one side, and the silver hairpin in her bun swayed. She covered her face and knelt down, but she stiffened her neck and refused to admit her fault: "Princess, please calm down! This servant is doing this for the young prince's own good! The concubine said that the East Courtyard..."
"Shut up!" Xiaoyanzi interrupted harshly, bending down to hug the sobbing Mianyi into her arms. The little one's tears soaked her chest, making it hot. "Mianyi, don't be afraid. Auntie is here. Chuntao is talking nonsense. Let's ignore her."
Mian Yi gasped, her small hands tightly grasping Xiao Yanzi's sleeves, her big eyes full of grievance: "Auntie... I just want to play with my brothers and sisters... Chun Tao said you would poison me, I don't believe it..."
"Silly child," Xiaoyanzi's heart softened. She raised her hand to wipe his tears, her fingertips rubbing his red cheeks from the cold. "We are family, how could I harm you? If anyone says something like this to you again, tell the prince."
Just as he finished speaking, a deep and clear voice came from the Moon Gate: "Tell Father what?"
Yongqi, dressed in navy blue uniform with a jade belt around his waist, had just returned from outside when he saw this scene. His eyes first fell on Mian Yi in Xiaoyanzi's arms, his brows slightly furrowed, and then he glanced at Chuntao, who was kneeling on the ground, his eyes a little colder.
"Father!" Mian Yi was like she had seen a savior. She broke free from Xiaoyanzi's arms, threw herself at Yongqi's legs, hugged his knees and cried, "Chuntao won't let me play with my brothers and sisters. She said they would poison me! I don't want to listen to her. I want to play with my brothers and sisters!"
Yongqi bent down and picked up Mian Yi. The little guy's tears and snot rubbed against his clothes, but he didn't care. He raised his hand to touch his son's head and said in a very gentle voice, "Mian Yi, be good, don't cry. Chun Tao is talking nonsense. How could your younger brother or sister hurt you? If you want to go out and play, go ahead. Ama will go with you."
Mian Yi stopped crying immediately, nodded with sobs, and pointed her little hand at the nanny not far away: "I want to go find Rui'er..."
"Go ahead." Yongqi put him down and watched him stumble towards his playmates. Then he turned around and his eyes fell on Chuntao. The tenderness he had felt faded away in an instant, leaving only a coldness. "Chuntao, say what you just said again."
Chun Tao was so frightened that she was shaking all over, her forehead pressed against the ground, her voice trembling: "Prince, Your Majesty... Your servant... Your servant was confused for a moment..."
"A moment of confusion?" Xiaoyanzi sneered, standing aside. She raised her hand to smooth down her wind-twisted hair, the beads on her golden hairpin jingling. "You said you were poisoning the child in front of him. If this were to reach Mother's ears, or if the Emperor knew about it, do you think our palace could bear the charge of 'poisoning the Emperor's grandson'?"
Yongqi's face darkened even further. He knew perfectly well that Xiaoyanzi's words were no exaggeration. The royal family was most wary of rumors of fratricide. If Chuntao's words got out, not only Xiaoyanzi, but even he, Prince Rong, would be implicated.
"Who taught you to say that?" Yongqi's voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling pressure.
Chuntao's lips trembled as she glanced towards the west courtyard. In the end, she didn't dare to expose Zhihua. She just kowtowed and said, "It was me... I saw the young prince always running to the east courtyard and was afraid, afraid of angering Concubine Jin... That's why I said that..."
"Really?" Yong Qi raised his eyebrows, his eyes swept over her, and suddenly he shouted, "Someone come here!"
Two guards came in from the Moon Gate in response, standing by with their hands hanging down.
"Drag Chuntao away, give her twenty slaps across the face, and send her to the farm. Never return to the palace again." Yongqi's voice was calm. "Go to the west courtyard and tell Concubine Jin to manage her people well from now on. If I hear her say anything divisive again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Your Highness, please spare me! Your Highness, please spare me!" Chuntao cried as she was dragged away. Her voice became farther and farther away, and finally disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Xiaoyanzi looked at the few tears still on the ground, feeling a pang of anxiety. She turned to go back to the house, but Yongqi grabbed her wrist. His palm was warm and had a familiar strength.
"Are you still angry?" Yongqi's voice softened. He gently put his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head. "It's my fault for not managing the people in the mansion well and letting you suffer."
Xiaoyanzi struggled but couldn't get free, so she simply gave up and said sullenly, "I'm not mad at her, I'm mad at Zhihua. She's always doing these little tricks, overtly or covertly, and she doesn't even let a child go."
"I know." Yong Qi sighed, turned her around so she was facing him, and reached out to brush away the crabapple petals on her cheek. "In the past, I always wanted to keep things quiet, which is why she pushed her too far. I won't do that anymore."
His eyes were serious, like the sun reflecting off a lake, dazzlingly bright. Xiaoyanzi looked at him, her anger gradually fading. Instead, she felt a little bit reluctant: "Actually... Mian Yi is her child after all. If you do this, she's probably going to..."
"A loving mother often spoils her child. If she truly wants the best for Mian Yi, she should teach him to be honest and upright, instead of gossiping behind his back." Yong Qi held her hand, interlocking their fingers. "Besides, I'm not only Mian Yi's father, but also your husband, Rui'er and Xin'er's father. Protecting you is my duty."
From outside the corridor came the clear laughter of Mian Yi and Mian Rui, as clear as silver bells. Little Swallow looked up to see Mian Yi sharing half of her cake with Mian Rui. The two little ones huddled together, their faces covered in crumbs. Mian Xin sat in her stroller, clapping her hands and giggling, drool dripping down her chin.
The sunlight shines through the branches of the crabapple trees, casting mottled shadows on them, making people feel warm inside.
Xiaoyanzi suddenly smiled, pulled her hand out, and pinched Yongqi's cheek: "You still have some conscience."
Yongqi grabbed her hand, brought it to his lips, and gently kissed her fingertips, a smile in his eyes: "Then, Princess, should you give me a piece of candy?"
"I'll make you look bad!" Little Swallow smiled and pushed him away, then turned and walked towards the children. Her skirt swept across the petals on the ground, leaving behind a series of light footsteps.
Yongqi stood there, watching her back, unable to hide the smile on his face. The breeze from the corridor still carried the fragrance of the crabapple blossoms, but this time, it seemed to have blown away the gloom of the past few days, leaving only warmth in the courtyard.
But he didn't see that behind the moon gate in the west courtyard, a goose yellow figure flashed by, and Zhihua's hand holding the handkerchief had turned white at the knuckles.
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