Chapter 3 That's Lingling's Blood
Xiao Fuyu was an impatient person. On his birthday, he didn't even go back to the princess's residence. As soon as he entered the city, he went straight to the East Palace.
The Crown Prince went to govern the country. Xiao Fuyu was designated as the Crown Princess since she was a child. Her mother was the eldest princess of Gao State. She often came and went in the Eastern Palace. Everyone greeted her with a smile when they saw her.
She drank a cup of tea with Aunt Luqi, who was in charge of the prince, and asked about the matter of the nine golden flowers.
Aunt Luqi poured her tea without even realizing it and said with a smile, "Nine Golden Flowers? I've never heard of them."
"It's the set His Highness specially ordered the Inner Palace Bureau to make!" Xiao Fuyu said, then turned to the East Palace maid standing beside her, "Didn't the Crown Prince specifically ask you to select the red gold and pearls to send to him?"
The maid opened her mouth to say something, but Aunt Luqi glanced at her, signaling her to shut up. Turning to Xiao Fuyu, she smiled and said, "We servants really don't know about this matter. After all, we only serve His Highness. Selecting gold, silver, and jewelry is the storehouse's business. Why would His Highness mention this to us?"
As soon as Xiao Fuyu saw her expression, she knew she wouldn't gain anything from this place. She put down her cup with a smile, saying, "That's true. I won't bother you anymore, aunt."
She was very familiar with the mansion, and after going out, she went straight to the storeroom, where she saw the eunuch in charge of the storeroom taking inventory of the treasures.
Because she was the Princess of Changyi, the warehouse guards did not dare to stop her. Xiao Fuyu walked leisurely to the door and stepped in.
The eunuch turned around and saw her, and hurried over to pay his respects, then asked with a smile, "My princess, you are so honored to be here. Do you have any instructions?"
She was naturally more polite to the people in the East Palace, and said with a smile, "A few months ago, I sent Your Highness a handwritten scroll, but recently I suddenly remembered that there seems to be a typo in it. Please help me find it and check it."
The eunuch quickly responded, "Okay, I'll go look for it for the princess right away."
He turned and went into the warehouse to look for it. Xiao Fu Yu was standing by the door. He looked up and saw a neatly folded old piece of clothing on a cabinet next to him.
She was surprised. This piece of clothing with a golden dragon pattern should belong to the prince, but there were many burn holes of different sizes on it, and even black ash and blood stains. It looked quite dirty and had not been washed, but just carefully folded and placed here.
She frowned and looked at the tattered clothes with disdain, thinking that there were countless treasures and antiques in the East Palace storehouse, so why would such a thing be collected so preciously?
But she was in a bad mood and didn't bother to think too much. Seeing the eunuch come back empty-handed after searching around, saying he hadn't found the scroll she mentioned, she frowned and said, "Can't find it? Look at the inventory records. It's only in the past few months."
The eunuch quickly took the account book from the table and flipped through the records.
Xiao Fuyu stood beside him, staring at the account book. He saw him turning the pages one by one, and the words "Nine Trees of Golden Flower Step-Shake" really appeared on the page.
She was quick to grab the account book and blurt out, "Can't find it? Let me take a look."
The eunuch was confused and subconsciously wanted to take the account book back. However, the maid behind Xiao Fuyu had already separated his hand and said with a smile, "Don't worry, eunuch. Let our princess take a look and see if there's anything serious."
The eunuch thought so too. The late emperor had personally arranged a marriage for the crown prince with Princess Changyi, and she would be the mistress of the Eastern Palace at the beginning of next year. What would be the problem with her taking a look at the account books?
Xiao Fuyu carefully read the above entry. It turned out that this set of flower trees was ordered by the Inner Palace Bureau in the first half of the year. It cost a lot of red gold and used the South China Sea pearls given by the palace. It was completed and put into storage three and a half months ago, and then-
On the day when the rebel army invaded Chang'an, which was also the day when Princess Lingling chose a son-in-law, the prince brought it to the Changhua Palace and gave it to Princess Lingling as a gift for choosing a son-in-law.
The Princess of Lingling County, Bai Qiandeng.
Xiao Fuyu tightly grasped the account book in his hand, and the person he saw in front of the tomb the day before appeared in front of him again.
She was dressed in white, without any makeup, and her cold face was as white as frost and snow, but she had an inexplicable sense of magnificence that struck people's hearts, and was reflected in everyone's eyes, making it unforgettable.
Even she, who had always grown up among beauties and was quite proud of her looks, could still recall the shocking feeling she had at that moment.
Xiao Fuyu felt a surge of rage and subconsciously clenched the account book, uttering a harsh word through gritted teeth: "A mere county lady, is she worthy of using Nine Trees of Golden Flowers?"
Seeing her lose her composure, the eunuch quickly pointed to the small print next to the account and reminded her, "Princess, be careful with your words. These jewels were given by the palace."
Xiao Fuyu looked up angrily, and sure enough, he saw a record that before the prince sent the materials to the Inner Palace Bureau, the palace specially rewarded him with a box of South China Sea pearls.
Therefore, the pearls inlaid with this flower tree hairpin were bestowed by the palace. It must be that the emperor and empress showed special favor and entrusted the prince to use them to make nine golden flowers and present them to the Princess of Lingling County.
Xiao Fuyu felt a surge of anger rising to his head. His body became unstable in anger and he bumped heavily into the shelf behind him when he turned around.
The wooden shelf shook violently and almost fell over.
The eunuch hurriedly raised his hand to hold the rack, but the tattered clothes on it fell down and landed squarely on Xiao Fuyu's head.
She was in a state of nameless anger at the moment. Seeing this dirty and torn piece of clothing covering her face, she was filled with resentment and pulled it off her head.
The clothes in her hands were covered in dust and blood, and looked even filthier up close.
Xiao Fuyu grabbed the tattered clothes and tore them hard, as if she wanted to vent her nameless anger by using this tattered clothes that inexplicably offended her.
The clothes were already old and had many holes on them caused by burns. With a "hiss" sound, a big hole was torn in it.
At this moment, someone strode in from outside, grabbed her wrist and curbed her crazy behavior.
Xiao Fuyu looked up and saw that the person who stopped her was none other than His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
He didn't know when he had returned home, and he was still wearing the black clothes and purple skirt he wore when he went out.
The auspicious cloud and dragon pattern on the lapel was exactly the same as the old clothes in her hand, but he had grown taller now, so the clothes were much bigger.
He didn't look at her, only staring at the dress in her hand. He didn't say anything, but the expression on his face was colder than Xiao Fuyu had ever seen.
Xiao Fuyu was betrothed to the Crown Prince at a young age. She knew from a young age that, based on her mother's generational line, she was actually his cousin. Therefore, in their interactions, the Crown Prince, who was born a few months later than her, was the more obedient and introverted, while she was often more assertive and felt she had the upper hand.
But at this moment, looking at his calm eyes that were hinted at coldness, Xiao Fuyu's hands trembled unconsciously, and he spread out his fingers timidly.
He took the clothes from Xiao Fuyu's hand, lowered his eyes and looked quietly at the old brown bloodstains on it, still without saying a word.
Xiao Fuyu calmed himself down and turned to look at the eunuch in the storeroom: "Why is there a torn piece of clothing in the East Palace storeroom? Clean it up quickly, it's covered in blood, it's so unlucky!"
The eunuch was startled and looked up at the prince, trembling all over.
The prince's fingers trembled slightly as he gently brushed across the place torn by Xiao Fuyu, and then he tightly grasped the blood-stained part of his clothes.
The old bloodstains on it had already turned brown and black, but his fingertips held the bloodstains tightly with great cherishment, and he refused to let go for a long time.
A chill suddenly flashed through Xiao Fuyu's mind. Looking at the robe that was obviously worn by the prince when he was young, as well as the bloodstains and burn marks on it, his heart skipped a beat.
The thought that flashed through her mind made her feel like she was struck by lightning. She subconsciously asked in a trembling voice, "This... this dress, is it the one she wore during the palace coup...?"
The prince did not answer, but just lowered his eyes and folded the clothes with his own hands, smoothed out the wrinkles neatly, and put them back on the rack.
He raised his hand and gently touched the bloodstain on his chest. He finally spoke in an inaudible voice: "This is Lingling's blood."
Xiao Fuyu felt her heart pounding. She stared blankly at the Crown Prince, her lips moving as if to say something, but ultimately she dared not utter a word.
The prince turned and walked out of the warehouse without even looking at her from beginning to end.
Xiao Fuyu followed him and walked out of the door in a daze. He couldn't help but look back at the clothes on the shelf.
The breathtaking white figure in the biting cold wind and the desolate mountains seemed to appear before her eyes again.
Also, the prince had a gloomy and pious expression on his face when he touched the blood-stained robe.
Burning anger and cold panic swept through Xiao Fuyu's chest, completely burning her mind.
She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth without saying a word, as if she wanted to chew and devour the four words "Princess of Lingling County" and swallow them forcefully.
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