Chapter 112 Kyoto is covered with snow
Dongxue grabbed Ruanbi's hand and asked anxiously, "Miss, what should we do?"
Ruan Bi was still wondering how Prince Jin had discovered her plan to escape. This escape was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and Granny Liu was unaware of it. Her initial plan was for Granny Liu to go to Sizhou to inquire about ships in Guangzhou, and then she would use the pretext of praying for blessings to stay at Yuxu Temple for two days, using the opportunity to escape and head south to Sizhou with Zhou Zhuzi and Dongxue to meet Granny Liu. Yesterday at noon, upon learning that Granny Liu had been detained, she asked Xiuzhi to send a message to Dongxue, instructing her and Zhou Zhuzi to leave the city early this morning and wait for her at the back mountain of Yuxu Temple.
Only Dongxue knew about this. Although she and the original owner were mistress and servant, they were essentially sisters with a deep bond. She shouldn't betray her. So who was it?
Outside the carriage, Yu Qing said loudly, "Fifth Miss, I will escort you back to the capital."
Ruan Bi came to her senses and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I will not go back. I have explained everything to the Prince in the letter, and he will understand after reading it."
"I was just following orders. Miss, you should speak to the Prince yourself." After a pause, Yu Qing said, "The Prince is also on his way."
After a moment of surprise, Ruan Bi asked in a low voice, "He's here?"
“Yes.” Yu Qing said meaningfully, “Fifth Miss, the Prince’s internal injuries are only about 80% healed.”
Ruan Bi naturally understood the implication, and her heart softened when she thought of the last time he coughed up blood. After a moment's thought, she said, "Zhou Zhuzi, let's go back to the capital."
"Thank you, young lady." Yu Qing said, spurring his horse to the side and then directing his men to split into two lines.
The group resumed their journey, with Yu Qing leading the way with four riders, followed by Ruan Bi's carriage, and the other guards bringing up the rear. After traveling about ten miles, the wind gradually died down, and the world fell silent, save for the monotonous, repetitive rumble of the carriage wheels. Ruan Bi leaned against the window, continuing to wonder how the Prince of Jin knew she was about to flee.
Little did she know that her own kindness would betray her. Fearing that she would be punished for failing to report a crime if she took Xiuzhi to the Yuxu Temple and then escaped, she left her at the Ruan residence. When Prince Jin received Yunying's letter and learned that she had gone to the Yuxu Temple without Xiuzhi, he immediately understood her intentions.
After passing Yuxu Temple and crossing the Yichun River, the capital city was within reach.
Suddenly, Yu Qing said, "Stop."
Zhou Zhuzi, who was driving the carriage, let out a sigh, and the carriage gradually came to a stop.
As soon as the carriage stopped, the rumbling of the wheels ceased. Then came the steady, resonant sound of horses' hooves, a clear and orderly clatter indicating the arrival of a large group. Ruan Bi lifted the curtain and stood on the carriage shaft to look over. She saw a long, dark procession winding its way towards them, with colorful banners fluttering in the breeze. The banners were embroidered with dragons soaring through the blue sky and the tiny, gold-embroidered red "Jin" character, each the size of a rice measure, gleaming brightly in the dim light.
This is the ceremonial retinue of the Prince of Jin.
Having known him for so long, this was the first time I'd ever seen his entourage. It was indeed magnificent, surpassing even the King of Han's entourage. But he always preferred simple travel, so why was he making such a grand display of his entourage today? A thought quickly crossed my mind, and I understood: he had arranged such a grand procession to welcome her.
When they reached a distance of about 30 feet, the procession stopped. The guards leading the way automatically stood on both sides of the road. The pine carriage, engraved with the insignia of the Prince of Jin's residence, slowly drove over and stopped only a few feet away from Ruan Bi. Yu Qing spurred his horse to the carriage, whispered a few words, and after a moment, turned his horse around to Ruan Bi's side and said in a low voice, "Fifth Miss, the Prince has come to fetch you. Please come to the carriage."
The wind had died down, the trees were still, and all was quiet. Although there were about a hundred riders, there was no commotion; the only occasional sound was the snorting of the horses. The clouds in the sky were still thick, layer upon layer, with some corners gleaming with a strange, cold, silvery-white hue. The whole world was shrouded in a gray haze, filled with a somber atmosphere. Ruan Bi jumped down from her carriage and walked towards the carriage carrying the Prince of Jin, her heart filled with trepidation and mixed emotions.
Prince Jin leaned back on the couch, wrapped in a snow-white fur coat. His face was pale, and he remained thin, his eyes somewhat cold, like the sky outside. When he saw Ruan Bi enter, he paused slightly, then reached out and pulled her to sit beside him. He silently looked at her for a long time, then reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, asking, "Where are you going in this freezing weather?"
"In many places, in Jiangnan, the northern deserts, and Sichuan..."
"I'll take you there sometime."
"Are you with the Princess Consort of Jin?"
The Prince of Jin raised an eyebrow unhappily and said, "I've told you before, she's just a little girl, and I have no feelings for her at all. But she was chosen by my mother, and it was announced to the whole world. As the saying goes, the emperor's orders are as firm as mountains. I cannot disregard either the dignity of the royal family or the reputation of my mother. My feelings for you will not change. Apart from this matter, I will never let you suffer any more grievances."
"I cannot agree to that."
"It's not that I don't want to give you the position of Princess Consort of Jin, it's that my mother disagrees. Now that things have gone this far, can't you compromise for my sake? Is the position of Princess Consort of Jin really that important to you?"
"Yes, it's very important. In fact, I not only want the position of Princess Consort of Jin, I also want you to have only me by your side."
The Prince of Jin stared at her in astonishment.
Ruan Bi laughed and said, "Look at me, how arrogant and unreasonable I am, right? I know that too. Actually, I'm just an ordinary woman. The world is vast, and there are so many women who are prettier and smarter than me. If you want to, you can easily get them all. So, just let me leave alone."
The Prince of Jin frowned, knocked on the carriage wall, and said, "Return to the city."
Ruan Bi grabbed his hand and pleaded, "Even if you take me back to the palace, I won't be happy. You know my personality; I'll never be content to be subservient to anyone. I'll turn your palace upside down, and you'll wish you'd never met me..."
The Prince of Jin gave her a stern look and interrupted her: "I'll pretend I didn't hear this time, but if you say such nonsense again, don't blame me for being impolite."
"You know I'm not talking nonsense."
The Prince of Jin turned his head away, looking out the window without uttering a sound, but his jaw was taut.
Ruan Bi hugged his arm and whispered, "Fei Yang..."
This was the first time she had called him by his name, and it was under these circumstances. He trembled slightly, turned to look at her, placed his hand on her chest, and asked angrily, "What is your heart made of?" His palm felt the softness of her breast, but he felt no lustful thoughts, only a pang of pain in his heart. "You are so considerate to those maids, why are you so heartless to me? You haven't replied to a single letter to me in so many days."
“I could also feign a reply, but that would be deceiving you. Because I care about you, I don’t want to deceive you.” After a pause, Ruan Bi said, “But what about you? You keep saying you care about me, yet you send the imperial physician over every day, forcing me to do this…”
“I’m not forcing you. I sent people to Guangzhou and learned that your mother is in poor health. I sent the imperial physician to try to cure her. It was also to let the people of the capital know that I care about you, not that you are trying to climb the social ladder. Have you thought about how embarrassing this is for Prime Minister Shen and the Empress Dowager? The Empress Dowager has sent eunuchs several times to warn me to be careful with my words and not to go too far.”
No wonder the Empress Dowager sent someone to tell the old lady to send her to Prince Jin's residence as soon as possible. It turns out she couldn't do anything about him. Ruan Bi suddenly realized, her heart warmed, and her expression softened.
"But if I can, I will definitely try for you. I just hope you can stay with me, whether it's the northern desert or the southern region, I will take you there."
Ruan Bi's nose tingled, and she almost burst into tears. She sniffed, shook her head resolutely, and said, "I'm sorry, I can't promise you. I'm afraid that one day I'll become unrecognizable..."
Despite his humble efforts and repeated pleas, she still refused to comply. The Prince of Jin's heart turned cold, and his eyes hardened. He said firmly, "Whether you agree or not today, I will not let you go. I have said that your name can only bear my trust. Even if things change beyond recognition in the future, you must stay by my side."
These words were like a cold wind, blowing away the last trace of tenderness in Ruan Bi's heart. She rolled her eyes, suppressing the tears welling up in her eyes. After a moment of silence, she chuckled softly and said, "Do you want the whole world to know that the Prince of Jin has taken his own niece as a concubine?"
“You…” The Prince of Jin was shocked and looked at her in disbelief.
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