Chapter 10 Returning to the Capital: You're just as hypocritical as them!
With a loud bang, the vermilion door was kicked open, the force of which, along with the summer night breeze, scattered the candlelight on the wall.
It took those present a moment to come to their senses, and they asked in trembling voices, "Princess Liyang, what are you doing?"
What are you doing?
Li Yunru snorted coldly, glanced around the scene with her delicate eyebrows, and walked up to a young woman wearing a crimson begonia-patterned blouse.
The young woman was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat, took two steps back, and stammered, "You...you mustn't do anything rash!"
Oh!
She said that these people were indeed extremely hypocritical. Behind her back, they were so arrogant and looked down on her, using all sorts of insults to show off their pride as noble ladies. But when they actually faced each other, they were all cowards who were easily defeated!
"Just now, you were the one who said that my Li family's power was gone and that my father had an accident, right?"
"Princess!" Cui Wan rushed over and grabbed her. "Don't be impulsive."
"Shut up!"
Li Yunru flung her hand away, saying, "I'll settle the score with you later!"
She continued to focus all her attention on the Lu family woman, pressing her relentlessly until she had nowhere left to retreat.
With nowhere else to turn, Lady Lu, in a fit of desperation, straightened up and retorted defiantly, "So what if I said it? I was just telling the truth!"
Her reckless behavior was infuriating, so Li Yunru raised her hand and slapped her across the face.
The force was earth-shattering, instantly knocking the delicate young woman to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
The woman covered her slapped cheek, tears streaming down her face. "Li Yunru, how dare you hit me!"
"So what if I hit you! You disrespected the princess and cursed the emperor. I only gave you one slap and didn't exterminate your entire family. You should be grateful!"
"Ha! Execute their entire clan!"
The more she talked about this, the more as if Lady Lu had found her home turf. She stood up, glared at her fiercely, and said disdainfully, "Still putting on airs like a princess? You don't even know you're about to become a prisoner. You want to exterminate my entire clan? Before that, you should check if your entire clan is still around. Do you really think the new ruler will be so benevolent as to let you go?"
"You're still talking nonsense!" Li Yunru was about to slap her again, but this time, Lady Lu had learned her lesson and reacted quickly, immediately grabbing her hand. However, she was just a pampered young lady raised in her boudoir, how could she compare to Li Yunru, a tomboy who was always running around and causing trouble in the palace? She was only delayed in being slapped for a moment.
Li Yunru warned fiercely, "If you utter another word of nonsense, this princess will tear your mouth apart!"
Lu was not intimidated. She sneered, "Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you can ask the sisters here."
Li Yunru didn't believe it, but she still subconsciously glanced over, hoping to get a negative answer. However, things didn't go as planned. The moment they met her gaze, they quickly looked away.
Women have never been allowed to participate in state affairs. However, Emperor Qi Xuan was uncontrollable, supporting the poor and suppressing the aristocratic families, which damaged their fundamental interests. Choosing a new person to take the throne had been a long-standing consensus among the major families. Therefore, as members of the family, regardless of their status, they would receive some rumors.
Lady Lu said arrogantly, "Don't take yourself too seriously. You, as a princess, might only last until this month. Go back early, and maybe you can see your overconfident father off on his deathbed!"
"you!"
Li Yunru wanted to slap her again, to smash that loose tongue of hers, but suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her chest, and a sweet, metallic taste spread through her mouth, surging and overwhelming, completely out of control...
"puff!"
Crimson blood gushed from her throat so fast that it gave her no time to react. The woman from the Lu family, standing opposite her, couldn't dodge in time and was sprayed with blood all over her face.
...
When Yan Ning heard that something had happened at the women's table, he hurriedly put down his wine cup and came over. What he saw was this scene: the host's daughter's face was covered in blood, and his little princess, dressed in a pale yellow silk dress, stood there trembling, like a daisy battered by autumn wind and rain, broken and swaying. Finally, she could not hold on any longer and fell backward.
"Princess!"
Disregarding the etiquette of aristocratic families, he quickly stepped forward and caught the person.
"cousin."
Cui Wan hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly. Seeing Yan Ning appear, she was momentarily stunned, feeling a little guilty, but she still forced herself to approach. She explained in a low voice, using a feigned retreat to take the blame: "It's my fault. I didn't take good care of the princess and failed your trust, cousin..."
The young woman had red eyes and lowered her head, looking pitiful and wronged. But Yan Ning felt inexplicably irritated. He had no mood to deal with her. He glanced at her indifferently, hummed in agreement, picked up Li Yunru in his arms, and carried her out of the Lu family's gate in full view of everyone.
"Fifth Brother." Lady Lu complained to her brother, dissatisfaction, as she watched the figure disappear.
Lu Wulang was helpless with his spoiled younger sister. Everyone knew she looked down on Liyang, but he never expected her to be so tactless as to make a scene. He had a good personal relationship with Yan Ning, and although Yan Ning rarely mentioned the princess among his friends, his nervousness just now showed that he had some affection for him. He didn't want the Lu family and the Yan family to ruin their friendship because of this, so he forced a stern face and reprimanded her: "You've ruined Grandmother's birthday banquet, which is a serious offense. Go to the ancestral hall and kneel down to beg for forgiveness!"
After saying this, he dispersed the crowd. The whole process was swift and efficient, demonstrating the demeanor of a scion of a prominent family.
...
Li Yunru had a nightmare. In the dream, the Forbidden Palace was awash in blood. Her father and mother, covered in blood, looked at her. She wanted to reach out and grab their hands, but they drifted further and further away from her until they gradually blurred and disappeared...
She was startled awake!
"Princess!"
"It's alright, it's alright." Shu Yun sat down on the side of the bed, wiped the sweat from Li Yunru's forehead with a handkerchief, and gently patted her back with her other hand to soothe Li Yunru's emotions.
Li Yunru stared blankly at the scene before her. The magnificent mansion and the crimson expanse from her dream alternated, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.
Shu Yun: "Princess, don't be afraid, it's all over now, don't worry."
At this moment, she was not a palace maid, but rather like a caring older sister, gently comforting her younger sister who was a few years younger than her and whom she had grown up with since childhood.
Li Yunru turned to look at her blankly, and stammered, "Where...where are my father and mother?"
Shu Yun: "..."
She remained silent.
"So it's true?"
The scenes in my dream, and those moments at the Lu family's house, were all real!
Li Yunru got up from the couch. "Prepare the horses, I'm going back to the capital!"
Shu Yun stopped her: "The royal physician examined her and said that the princess is suffering from emotional distress, which has damaged her liver and spleen. She needs to be properly cared for..."
"Prepare the horses!"
Li Yunru couldn't hear what she was saying at all, she just mechanically repeated those two words, repeating the sentence above.
"Prepare the horses, I'm heading back to the capital!"
Shu Yun had no choice but to have someone bring over her mount, Zhui Feng, and then she found a horse herself to follow. The two of them left Jiankang City without stopping for a moment.
...
When Yan Ning returned from the Yan family, he found the princess's residence empty. He asked around and learned that the princess had rushed to the capital as soon as she woke up, without even asking him a question.
But this was not the time to dwell on that. He hurriedly went to the stable to fetch his horse and chased after them.
Fortunately, he returned early. Li Yunru had only been out of the city for a short time and was still injured, so he wasn't walking very fast. After a little over an hour, he caught up with the man.
"Princess!"
"It's the Prince Consort!" Shu Yun reported urgently.
Li Yunru glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, but instead of slowing down, she quickened her pace.
Yan Ning quickly gave chase.
Jingwu was an old horse who had followed his master for many years. He understood his master's thoughts and quickened his pace. In a short while, he ran in front of the female master and successfully intercepted her.
"Princess!"
Yan Ning reached out to pull her, but Li Yunru shoved her away, saying, "Get out of the way!"
She held a leather ruby riding whip in her hand. With this action, the whip struck Yan Ning's hand directly, tearing a hole in his snow-white robe. Fine bloodstains stained the white sleeves of the robe red.
"Yunru." Yan Ning winced in pain, but didn't let go. He refused to give up and continued trying to soothe her, "Listen to me..."
“Princess, why don’t we listen to what the Prince Consort has to say? We can continue our journey later.”
Li Yunru didn't want to listen, but the person in front was blocking her way, and she couldn't get past him. She couldn't just run him over and kill him, could she?
Although she had this thought for a moment.
"Alright, I'd like to hear what you have to say!"
Seeing that she was willing to listen, Yan Ning breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his horse around to stand at eye level with her, took her hand, and said, "I know you're anxious, but rushing back like this will not only prevent you from succeeding, but will also put you in danger. Why did Emperor Xuan send you away from the capital? Wasn't it to ensure your safety, Yunru..."
He called her name softly, "Come back with me, and we'll think about this matter more carefully and make a plan!"
"Ha! I'll think it over carefully and make a plan!"
Li Yunru shook off his hand, "How long has your aristocratic family pondered this? Didn't you come to this conclusion? What else do you need to ponder? What, are you going to wait until everything settles down before taking me to your final resting place!"
Yan Ning remained silent. He had nothing to say. This was the result of discussions among the aristocratic families. Even as the future head of the Yan family, he had no right to object. The only thing he could protect was the person in front of him.
Seeing his expression, Li Yunru understood everything. She never expected Yan Ning to choose her over the powerful families. This outcome was expected, but she still couldn't control her emotions and felt a little upset.
Li Yunru stared at the person, her eyes gradually reddening, tears welling up in her eyes. She tried hard to control them and prevent them from falling, and said in a pretentious and harsh voice, "Yan Changjun, you are no different from those people. You are all hypocritical!"
She didn't want to listen to his meaningless ramblings anymore. With that, she spurred her horse and rode away.
Shu Yun glanced at Yan Ning, shook her head and sighed, then followed.
The figures of the master and servant gradually disappeared from his sight, but many things inexplicably became clear in his mind.
Good and bad, along with her mother's earnest admonitions before returning home, and Li Yunru's gaze...
He had never seen her look at him like that before; there was clear resentment, yet it was so calm...
That gaze was like a tiny needle, piercing his heart little by little. He couldn't see the wound, but he could feel the excruciating pain.
He had a strange feeling, as if something was slowly being pulled away from them...
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