Chapter 101: More Sincerity
Ye Qiaoqiao was so scared that she hugged Li Ruanruan's arm tightly. They followed the secret guard, climbed the wooden stairs step by step, and then stopped in front of the door of the private room.
The secret guard pushed open the door, walked in first, and then motioned for the two of them to go in.
Ye Qiaoqiao was so frightened that her legs went limp. She whispered to Li Ruanruan, "What, what should I do?"
Li Ruanruan said softly: "Come bow first and then take off the veil. It's always better to be respectful."
Li Runrun looked up and realized that there was no one else in the private room except His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He had not looked at them directly since they came in, but was leisurely sipping a cup of tea.
"Meet the prince."
Li Runrun bowed deeply and kowtowed.
Ye Qiaoqiao knelt on the ground and stammered, "Greetings, hello, Prince."
It should be better now, not as frightened and stuttering as the first time he met the prince.
They prostrated themselves on the ground and kowtowed, but the prince did not immediately call them up.
After a long while, Li Runrun was still calm and steady, but Ye Qiaoqiao was so scared that her forehead was covered in cold sweat.
After a long while, the prince said calmly, "Get up."
Li Runrun's knees were a little sore from kneeling, and she wondered what the prince was up to.
She couldn't figure it out, nor did she dare to figure it out.
Li Ruanruan stood up.
Ye Qiaoqiao was even more nervous than she was. She hadn't dared to move while kneeling, and now her whole body was stiff. Her legs were numb, but she didn't dare to make a sound and stood up.
I imitated Li Runrun and took off my veil, holding it in my hand. When I saw Li Runrun put it down, I put it down too.
The prince didn't keep them waiting for long this time. He raised his chin and said, "Sit down."
He was no longer as cold as before, but seemed a little gentle: "Don't be afraid, it's nothing big to come to you."
Li Runrun and Ye Qiaoqiao sat opposite the prince.
The secret guard stood behind the prince from the doorway, holding the sword, giving off a strong sense of oppression.
There was another person standing behind the prince. Li Runrun recognized him at a glance. He was the eunuch who led her to the East Palace. He was wearing ordinary clothes, but his face did not change.
You should come out and serve.
He had his usual smile on his face and looked very kind.
But if you really think so, you are totally wrong. No one who follows the prince is simple.
Whether it is this secret guard or this eunuch.
Everyone likes to be in a high position with great power, but Li Runrun, sitting here, feels that it is not easy to be in a high position with great power. This kind of psychological pressure is really not something that ordinary people can bear.
"What kind of tea do you like?"
The prince asked an irrelevant question.
That was an easy question to answer. Li Ruanruan glanced at the elegant tea table before saying softly, "I don't know much about tea, so I don't pick it."
"Then try today's jasmine tea, a favorite of the noble ladies of the capital."
After the prince said this, the eunuch standing behind him stepped forward, brewed the tea very gracefully, picked up the small white jade teapot, and poured a small cup for Li Ruanruan and Ye Qiaoqiao respectively.
He picked up another purple clay teapot and poured the prince another cup.
I guess the prince doesn't like this scented tea.
There are many rules for drinking tea, and people in high positions like the crown prince are very picky.
In later generations, jasmine tea was very common and everyone could afford it, but nowadays jasmine tea is considered precious. Of course, the ancient craftsmanship also makes the tea and flower aromas stronger.
No wonder he is so popular among the noble ladies in the capital.
Li Ruanruan picked it up and tasted it carefully. She could really tell that this was good tea.
The scent of jasmine blends into the tea, and it has the light taste of tea and the sweet aftertaste of flowers. She likes it very much.
The prince stared at her without blinking, with a hint of smile on the corner of his lips, and when Li Ruanruan looked up at him, he seemed normal.
Then he suddenly looked at Ye Qiaoqiao who was observing quietly but accidentally saw this scene.
That look was so stern and cold that Ye Qiaoqiao was so scared that the small teacup in her hand fell on the table, and the undrinkable tea spilled on the table and clothes.
She was so frightened that she knelt down and kowtowed: "I, I didn't mean to do it, I didn't mean to do it..."
She was scared to death. She shouldn't have looked around. She deserved to die, really deserved to die.
Ye Qiaoqiao's eyes turned red instantly.
Li Ruanruan was about to stand up and apologize, but she heard the prince smile: "It's okay, is she burned? Take her downstairs to change clothes."
The prince gave the eunuch a look, and he cleared the tea table. He then bowed and helped the trembling Ye Qiaoqiao up, smiling kindly: "Come with me, Miss Ye Er."
Ye Qiaoqiao was helped away. She subconsciously wanted to look back at Li Runrun, but she forced herself to hold it back. It was because of her careless look just now that she got into trouble. She lowered her head and didn't dare to do it again.
Follow the eunuch obediently and leave.
Although Ye Qiaoqiao is a daughter of a marquis, she is a concubine's daughter after all and has never seen a big scene, otherwise she would not be so scared.
Ye Qiaoqiao went to change her clothes, and Li Runrun faced the prince alone, and her scalp was tingling.
How I wish the prince could push the door open and save her from the dire situation.
But she didn't know where the prince was at the moment, so it was impossible to save her.
The prince looked at the soft pear and continued the previous topic: "How is this tea?"
Li Ruanruan answered truthfully: "It tastes good."
“This time it’s much more sincere.”
He said so.
Li Runrun smiled awkwardly, lowered her head, and didn't want to continue to beat around the bush. After all, who would want to sit here and chat over tea with the Crown Prince, who was so noble and powerful?
She just hoped not to make any mistakes, not to cause trouble for the prince, and to end the meeting quickly.
She took the initiative to ask, "I wonder what the Crown Prince wants to see me about? If I know anything, I will tell you everything I know."
The prince did not answer immediately. Seeing that there was only half a cup left in Li Ruanruan's small teacup, he personally picked up the white jade teapot and added more tea for her.
Li Ruanruan panicked and quickly stood up and knelt down: "Prince, I, I can't afford it."
The prince put down the teapot and said, "Get up. Since you are Xiuzhu's beloved concubine, you are different here with me."
Li Runrun stood up nervously and sat back down, but she didn't dare drink the tea anymore, for fear that after she finished it, the prince would pour her more.
She really can't afford it.
This feels so suffocating.
Li Runrun actually guessed that the prince might be looking for her for the winery or for Suzhou embroidery, as these were the only two things she had.
But she didn't dare to ask, let alone mention it.
If you ask this question, wouldn't you be guessing what the prince is thinking? Emperors are suspicious, and this is a common problem in their royal family.
Li Runrun didn't dare to joke with the Nine Clans. She wanted her father and brother to be alive and well.
So he lowered his head and sat quietly.
But the prince remained silent, and Ye Qiaoqiao never came back.
She felt that the prince did it on purpose, but she didn't know why he was targeting her so much. It was as if he wanted to use this method to break down her psychological defenses step by step.
Time passed by minute by minute. If he didn't speak, she would be even less willing to speak.
Before she knew it, cold sweat had covered Li Runrun's forehead and a thin layer of sweat on her back.
Finally, the prince's unilateral pressure on her ended, and he spoke.
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