Chapter Fifty His Heart is Like the Moon
“Master, this is not a good idea,” Ruan Bi shook her head and said, “My fourth sister is indeed beautiful, but she is no match for Consort Xie. Consort Xie has also given birth to the eldest prince, so her position is secure. My fourth sister is just a palace maid by the Empress’s side. Who knows when she will be promoted to a concubine and compete with Consort Xie for the Emperor’s favor. Moreover, if my fourth sister wants to attract the Emperor’s attention while by the Empress’s side, she can only do so by throwing herself into his arms. But people are all the same in nature. What is easily obtained is easily discarded, while what is unattainable is what causes restless longing. That’s why I want my fourth sister to win the Empress Dowager’s favor from the beginning, and then have the Empress whisper in the Emperor’s ear from time to time, so that he will become curious and take the initiative to bring her into the palace as a concubine. Only in this way will she have the ability to compete with Consort Xie. Otherwise, she will just be cannon fodder.” She spoke quickly and unconsciously used her old habitual expressions.
However, Master Ziying seemed not to notice. His eyebrows drooped, and he looked gloomy. He said in a low voice, "What is easily obtained is easily discarded, while what is unattainable is what keeps one restless." A dark red flashed in his eyes, and he sighed, "Young lady, you understand these things at such a young age. You are indeed a smart person."
Ruan Bi knew she had touched on a sore spot, so she remained silent and waited quietly for Ruan Bi to calm down.
After a while, Master Ziying raised his eyes and said, "Then tell me, young lady, what should we do next?"
Ruan Bi knew that she had long since given up on sending her to the palace, but felt uneasy about being tricked and wanted to find a way to back down. So she said, "Now that I am your apprentice, you can do whatever you want."
As expected, Master Ziying's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, and he said, "Very well, although we each had our own selfish motives before, we have now become master and disciple, and from now on we can only be of one mind." He paused and then said, "Fifth Miss, let's not bring up the past anymore, okay?"
Ruan Bi quickly climbed up the pole. "I'll do whatever Master says."
Master Ziying said with satisfaction, "I know you're not doing well in the Ruan family. Don't worry, I will help you get engaged to Gu Xiaobai as soon as possible."
As if struck by lightning, Ruan Bi opened her eyes wide.
"It seems you don't know yet, Princess Huiwen sent someone to your Ruan family to propose marriage." After a pause, Ziying said, "Madam Ruan said that you were already in a marriage proposal and rejected the princess. However, a couple of days ago, Old Madam Ruan asked the Lady of Dongping Marquis to tell Princess Huiwen that it was just a casual remark made between relatives. The princess is very unhappy now, feeling that the Ruan family has gone back on their word. I will try to persuade her slowly. This marriage will be of great benefit to you, so don't miss out."
The relationship between Gu Xiaobai and himself felt incredibly strange.
Ruan Bi's mind was a little blank, and she didn't know how to refute it, so she nodded haphazardly.
Seeing that it was getting late, Master Ziying told her to stay at Xichen Mountain.
Just as she entered the room, the young Taoist nun knocked and came in, handing her a letter and saying with a smile, "Fifth Miss, this letter was delivered by the Prefect, who said it was for you."
The letter contained only four bold, ink-written characters: "戌正，初见" (Xu Zheng, First Meeting).
Ruan Bi was slightly surprised. How did he know she had come to Yuxu Temple? To be honest, she didn't really want to see him right now. After the incident of the Second Miss taking the blame, she realized that reality was very cruel, and there was indeed an insurmountable chasm between her and him. Moreover, after experiencing so much these past two days, with her emotions fluctuating wildly, she was deeply exhausted.
After much hesitation, and after dinner, Ruan Bi borrowed a Taoist robe from the young nun and changed into it. She left Xichen Mountain Residence and strolled leisurely all the way to Wanmiao Residence. The door of Wanmiao Residence was locked, and the bushes next to it grew particularly lush. Although it was autumn, there was no sign of desolation. When the wind blew, they rustled and were quite unsettling.
A strange meow suddenly rang out, and Ruan Bi felt a chill run down her spine. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw You De waving at her from the branches of the old locust tree by the wall.
She quickly went over and looked around, but the Prince of Jin was nowhere to be seen.
As if guessing her thoughts, Youde jumped down and said with a grin, "Little nun, don't look anymore, the prince is waiting for you outside." With that, he grabbed her by the collar, leaped onto a tree branch, and then leaped again. Before Ruan Bi could react, she was already in mid-air.
The Prince of Jin stood leaning against a pine tree, dressed in a blue brocade robe, a slight smile in his eyes, looking up at me. The moonlight bathed him in its glow.
Youde gently placed Ruan Bi in front of the Prince of Jin, then leaped into the woods and disappeared.
However, Ruan Bi knew he hadn't gone far, and after searching carefully, she still couldn't find where he was hiding.
The Prince of Jin smiled and said, "He's squatting on the third tree on the right."
Ruan Bi glanced at him a few more times and had to admit her eyesight wasn't good enough. "Is he going to stay squatting like this?"
"Yes, he cannot be more than three zhang away from me."
Meeting in the middle of nowhere, with someone perched in a tree, Ruan Bi didn't know what to say and remained silent.
The Prince of Jin's smile faded. He looked down at her and said, "What's wrong? Don't you want to see me?"
"No," Ruan Bi said, turning away from his gaze. "How did Your Highness know I came to Yuxu Temple?"
"Your third uncle told me."
Ruan Bi said "Oh" and then fell silent.
Youde, who was in the tree, frowned, jumped down, and said rudely, "Fifth Miss, what do you mean? Our Prince heard that you came to Yuxu Temple and came to see you specially, so why don't you even give him a friendly look?"
Ruan Bi looked up at Prince Jin and saw that he was frowning, his smile gone, and his gaze held a hint of helplessness. She felt a pang of guilt; after all, he had ridden dozens of miles to get here. "Your Highness," she said, "I have something to say to you. Could you perhaps ask him to go further away?"
Before the Prince of Jin could answer, Youde loudly proclaimed, "No! Don't you know how many people want to kill the Prince? I cannot leave the three-zhang area."
Ruan Bi was shocked.
The Prince of Jin waved his hand and said, "Youde, stay away."
"Your Highness, you're being too lenient with her."
The Prince of Jin was slightly annoyed and glared at him.
Youde glared at Ruan Bi resentfully, then leaped back onto the tree, the rustling sound fading into the distance.
"He's five zhang away from us now, he can't hear our conversation. What do you want to say?"
"Do many people want to kill you?"
"Fortunately, there were far fewer after returning to the capital. When we were in Xingping City, the most we ever saw was eighteen waves in one day."
His expression was calm, but Ruan Bi felt a pang of sadness and said, "Then why did you only bring De with you?"
“I can’t possibly bring a whole bunch of people to see you?” Prince Jin laughed, revealing his snow-white teeth. “Only De is close to me, Yu Qing and the others are waiting within fifty meters, and there are many other people scattered around. Every time I go out, I have dozens of guards protecting me, so you don’t need to worry.”
Ruan Bi felt like she was about to faint. What kind of life did this person live?
Are you scared?
"Afraid."
"It's probably too late." Prince Jin raised his eyebrows, a hint of smugness in his expression.
The intimate tone sent a shiver down Ruan Bi's spine, as if a warm current had flowed through her, and she suddenly felt an urge to cry. She had been in this world for half a year. At first, she was bedridden, with no one to help her. Then she was imprisoned in the east wing, surrounded by three wicked servants. Later, although she gained her freedom, she was almost accused of being possessed by a demon. Then came the manipulation of Master Ziying, the framing by Consort Xie, the First Madam's attempt to marry her off to her paralyzed nephew, and Ruan Chi's covetous gaze. Although she later successfully turned the tide with the help of Master Ziying, the schemes against her continued, only now they had become covert… Throughout this journey, she had walked a tightrope, trembling with fear. Although she was an elite honed in the workplace, she was still a human being, with a heart of flesh and blood, not made of steel. She also needed care, love, friends, and family…
The Prince of Jin looked at her intently and said in surprise, "Are you so scared that you're about to cry?"
"Nonsense." Ruan Bi turned to the side, not letting him see her face, but tears fell.
"What's wrong with you?" The Prince of Jin's heart sank, and he turned to look at him.
Ruan Bi was too embarrassed to let him see her tears, so she turned her face away. But she regretted it the next second, because he pressed her shoulders and turned her face towards him. It was only the fifteenth of the lunar month, and the bright moonlight clearly illuminated the tear tracks at the corners of her eyes.
The Prince of Jin studied her for a while, then reached out and wiped away her tears, saying, "You have something on your mind, why don't you tell me?"
"I'm fine."
"You stubborn fool, I'm asking you, did you receive the letter I wrote to you?"
Ruan Bi nodded.
Why didn't you reply?
"I can't give you a reply either," Ruan Bi said softly. She was determined not to let the sarcastic Ruan Chi deliver it.
Prince Jin raised an eyebrow, paused for a moment, and carefully chose his words before saying, "Do you know how surprised I was when I met your third uncle in the Northwest? The Ruan family in Jingxi is a family of scholars and poets, and has always produced many civil officials. Yet, a scion of such a distinguished family joined the army in the Northwest. If he hadn't been driven to desperation, why would he have chosen this path? I observed him for a long time. He was brave in battle, always leading from the front, and his civil and military achievements were both impressive. He was a talented general, which suited me perfectly. So later, I transferred him to my side, giving him a chance to distinguish himself, and I even kept him in the capital."
Ruan Bi didn't understand why he was saying these things, so she remained silent and blinked at him.
"I'm asking you, what's your relationship with him like?"
He was too clever. Ruan Bi didn't intend to hide anything; it would be better to deal with the ever-watchful Ruan Chi first. "Your Highness, he hates me. It's said that when I was five years old, I put a scorpion into his mother's medicine pot, poisoning her to death."
"Five years old?" The Prince of Jin chuckled in disbelief.
"I have no recollection of it at all."
Prince Jin, having grown up in the palace, was well aware of the shady dealings within the grand mansion. "Besides this, is there anything else?"
"I have no known origins, and I don't even know who my father is."
"I know about this."
"Then you should also know that there is a huge difference in status between us."
The Prince of Jin remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"I heard that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are selecting concubines for you?"
The Prince of Jin remained silent for a long time, then nodded.
"The courtyard gate will be locked at Hai Shi (9-11 PM). Your Highness, please have Youde escort me back." After saying this, Ruan Bi felt a little empty inside and turned to walk towards the wall in a huff. Just as she took a step, his arm came around and pulled her close, his chin resting on her head, and he said, "I know everything you said. I know your worries too, and I will find a way."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
