go home
The early autumn night was cool and the candlelight hanging high was swaying.
The screen in front of the Mingcheng Hall was removed, and a small low table was set up. The table was filled with light porridge, some vegetarian dishes, snacks, and fruits.
Qi Qinghe's messy hair had been combed and washed again. She no longer wore a hairpin with flowers. She had long since changed out of her lotus-pink palace dress and put on a moon-white shirt and skirt.
She had her eyebrows lowered, her dark eyelashes covering her eyes, and no emotion could be seen. She held a pair of silver chopsticks in her hands, carefully serving food to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Xiao Junbai tilted his head and saw that she didn't say a word. He didn't know how to say what he had planned.
"I didn't know what happened today. If someone makes things difficult for you in the future, just tell them directly." His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seldom explained things to others and was not very experienced. He thought that this would be enough to make things clear.
"Is the burn on your left hand feeling better?" He asked, gently holding the Crown Princess's tightly wrapped left hand. His movements were very light and he did not dare to use any force, and he slowly untied the cloth strips that wrapped it.
The swelling on the burned and red palm subsided a little, but most of it was still swollen, like a big rock.
Qi Qinghe pondered His Highness's words carefully and said directly, "Does he think that her words today offended the Queen and were disrespectful and inappropriate?"
After a while, she suddenly withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back. "It's just a minor injury. It will heal in a few days. Your Highness, don't worry. I'm fine."
Xiao Junbai frowned slightly, then withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened and picked up the silver chopsticks. "Eat."
Qi Qinghe lowered his head and shoveled food into his mouth, feeling more and more aggrieved.
Such light vegetarian food has never been her favorite, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has never asked her what she likes.
The meal tasted like chewing wax and was completely flavorless.
A waning moon hung halfway in the night sky, its bright light shining on the desk and interweaving with the candlelight, distracting people from attending to their affairs.
A screen taller than a person stands in front of the hall, and the dark brown gauze curtains cast clear shadows on people.
The Crown Princess, with her slender waist, stood gracefully, allowing the maids on both sides to take off her outer clothes and change into her soft nightgown. Her long black hair, like a waterfall, spread out behind her, making her fair skin and beautiful face even more prominent.
Xiao Junbai stared at it unconsciously for a long time. When he came to his senses, the ink on the tip of the pen had soaked the rice paper.
He hesitated for only a moment, then put down his pen and strode to the other side.
She undressed, took down the gauze curtain, and covered herself with a thin quilt. Qi Qinghe pulled the quilt over her head, and faint sobbing sounds could be heard.
As the footsteps approached, she subconsciously pulled back the quilt and looked around blankly.
But Xiao Junbai lifted the gauze curtain and leaned closer.
The man's heavy breath touched her face, causing her to hold her breath involuntarily and call out softly, "Your Highness."
The prince doesn't want to...
The prince was not a man of great desires. She had been in the palace for many days, but she had only tasted the sexual pleasure described in the novels three times.
Why did he suddenly feel like that today? Qi Qinghe clenched the quilt with his fingers so tightly that they turned white, and his heart was beating like a drum.
Xiao Junbai hummed, held her shoulders, and fell onto the bed together.
The woman's soft, boneless hands rested on his chest, and the faint fragrance of flowers went straight into his nose, quite refreshing. Her round shoulders and collarbone were particularly eye-catching, which tempted him to raise his hand to untie the thin laces.
"Your Highness." Qi Qinghe stopped him with an unsteady breath, "I want to leave the palace and go home tomorrow."
She missed her mother so much.
Xiao Junbai responded in an almost inaudible voice, and his big hand slipped into the open pajamas.
The gauze curtains that had been lowered again swayed continuously, and the noise did not stop until midnight.
Qi Qinghe was so tired that she couldn't even lift her eyelids. Her hands hung outside the bed curtains, motionless.
Xiao Junbai slowly put on a loose robe, called the palace maid to bring hot water, half bent down, effortlessly picked up the Crown Princess, and strode towards the compartment.
The compartment is specially used for the masters to bathe. A half-person-high wooden barrel is placed in the middle, and there is a clothes hanger on each side, with clean pajamas and robes hanging on them.
The two of them soaked in the wooden barrel, hugging each other tightly.
The prince rested his head on Qi Qinghe's shoulder, not forgetting to hold her injured left hand to prevent it from getting wet. He said softly and slowly, "I will go home with you tomorrow."
"Chengxi said that ordinary people marry their daughters and return them to their parents' homes three days later." Xiao Junbai paused and continued, "The royal family doesn't have such palace rules. You should have told me earlier."
Hearing the accusatory tone in His Highness's voice, Qi Qinghe suddenly opened his eyes, his mind in turmoil, and tears fell from the corners of his eyes.
Xiao Junbai loosened his grip slightly and looked at her in confusion.
"Your Highness is right. I understand." Qi Qinghe lost her strength and murmured in response.
The next morning, the dazzling sunlight passed through the windowsill and shone in front of the temple.
Qi Qinghe rubbed his eyebrows and sat up. The next moment, his sore and weak waist and abdomen could not bear the effort and he fell back onto the bed.
A strong and powerful arm suddenly stretched out from behind her and held her tightly.
Xiao Junbai was awakened by the noise and moved closer. "You were overworked yesterday. You have nothing else to do, so it wouldn't hurt to rest for a while."
As he spoke, the prince passed his knuckle-jointed hand through her long black hair and stood up over her.
"Your Highness, are you free today?" Qi Qinghe asked subconsciously, then came to her senses, "If Your Highness is busy, it would be the same if I went back by myself."
She felt more comfortable going back alone.
"I have a day off today." Xiao Junbai turned around and glanced at her. "In a few days, I will go to Tongzhou with my fourth brother to investigate the case."
Tongzhou is in the southwest of the capital, and it takes at least ten days to travel there. I haven't seen her for several days, so I should spend more time with the Crown Princess.
Upon hearing this, Qi Qinghe's eyes lit up. If the Crown Prince went to investigate the case, then the Eastern Palace... as long as the Empress and Miss Fu didn't come to cause trouble, wouldn't she be comfortable alone?
Thinking of this, she didn't care about her sore waist and weak legs, and quickly got up from the bed and called the maid to come and wash.
…
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was coming in person, and the palace servants had already informed him in advance, so that the whole Qi family could make preparations early.
At that time, Qi Lin was still in the court meeting and had not left the palace. Qi Zhang, who had heard the news, hurriedly made arrangements, "Keep your mouths shut. Remember what you should and shouldn't say."
"Tell that person to hide well, so as not to reveal his true identity and bring trouble to her precious daughter." Qi Zhang was furious when she mentioned her eldest sister-in-law. "Put out all the delicious food and drink, don't embarrass yourself."
Qi Zhang gave the order, and the entire Qi Mansion was busy, with people coming in and out in a hurry without a moment's rest.
Half an hour later, the carriage of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess stopped at the gate of Qi Mansion.
Qi Zhang, Aunt Zhou, the young man I met last time, and a group of servants were waiting at the door to greet me.
"Your servant Qi Zhang greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Seeing the Crown Prince and his wife get off the car, Qi Zhang stepped out from the crowd, bowed slowly, and the people around her also saluted.
Xiao Junbai nodded lightly.
“…Mother, please get up.” Qi Qinghe gritted his teeth and called out to his mother, gently helping her up.
Everyone went to the main hall.
"My home is simple and I am sorry for the poor hospitality. I hope Your Highness will forgive me." Qi Zhang sat down leisurely. Her voice was different from the usual arrogance and domineering. It was more gentle as she talked about some gossip about family matters.
The tea at hand was slightly bitter. Xiao Junbai took a sip and put it down, lowering his eyes to listen to what Qi Zhang said.
Qi Qinghe felt very uncomfortable after hearing this. "Mother, why can't I see Qin'er serving you? But she was young and loved to play, so she got into trouble. Mother, just tell me and I will take care of her."
Qi Zhang was interrupted mid-sentence. She glanced at the girl, whose expression was incomprehensible, and cursed inwardly, "Qin'er, that girl loves to play. Who knows where she might have run off to. Just sit here and I'll send someone to look for her."
At this moment, Qi Lin, who was about to leave the palace after the court meeting, rushed home without stopping. He walked in and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is Qi Lin, the Minister of Justice."
"Your Highness has come in person, and I am extremely terrified." Qi Lin didn't even bother to wipe the sweat off his forehead. After greeting, he turned to Qi Zhangshi and said, "Why don't you take Your Highness for a walk around the mansion?"
As he spoke, Qi Lin respectfully invited the prince to move into the courtyard, "Our home is small, please don't despise it, Your Highness."
This hit the mark of Qi Qinghe's heart. "Father is right. Your Highness should take a walk around the mansion."
Seeing her excited look, Xiao Junbai couldn't help but say, "Okay."
The Lotus Courtyard is quite remote, and since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is traveling with us, it is not convenient to go there.
Qi Qinghe was thinking about how to meet his mother.
Passing through the main hall, to the east is a rockery pond with jagged rocks, gurgling water, and koi swimming around. To the west is a flower forest, but at this time of year, it is gray and withered, so there is nothing to see.
Qi Lin naturally took His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and headed east.
Listening to her uncle's eloquent voice, Qi Qinghe curled her lips and glanced around aimlessly.
Just with this quick glance, she discovered that a few weeds on the west side of the rockery were leaning to one side or the other, as if someone had walked by. The servants who were passing by walked straight ahead and did not notice.
It can’t be my mother.
She straightened her shoulders, curved her eyebrows, and pretended to be pampered.
Before he had taken a few steps, an urgent voice came from behind him.
"girl!"
A familiar voice exploded in his ears, and Qi Qinghe suddenly froze and moved his body to look back.
It really was Qin'er.
Qin'er's loud voice startled everyone in the group.
Qi Lin turned around upon hearing the voice, frowned and angrily shouted, "Why are you yelling so much? You have no idea how to behave properly. You have offended an honorable person. Even if you are cut into pieces, you can't afford to compensate."
Qin'er had been running fast, breathing heavily. She looked up blankly at the sound, her eyes falling on the man standing beside her master, dressed in a jet-black brocade robe with a gold-stamped cloud pattern. She was stunned for a moment, then recovered immediately. "I deserve to die. I have offended His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Please punish me, Your Highness."
Xiao Junbai didn't care much about the little girl, and his slightly curious gaze fell on the Crown Princess.
Qi Qinghe straightened up, not even looking at the little girl, and clutched the corners of his clothes tightly with both hands.
He particularly remembered that the Crown Princess said that her mother was not feeling well, so she left the maid with her mother.
But when he saw her today, Qi Zhang was in good health and showed no signs of discomfort, while the maid who was supposed to stay by her side to serve her was nowhere to be found.
How strange.
"It's okay." Xiao Junbai looked away and continued walking along the pond.
In the crystal clear pond, ripples were spreading, and a few fish swam happily by, sometimes coming closer, sometimes floating away.
After the prince spoke, Qi Lin didn't say much. He snorted coldly and followed the prince, staying by his side.
Qi Qinghe let out a breath, took a few steps back, and walked side by side with Qin'er. Using the wide cover of his sleeves, he stuffed something into Qin'er's hand and quietly reminded her that no one would open it later.
There was really nothing to see in the small yard, so after a while, the group returned to the dining room.
Qi Zhang, who was preparing the meal, stood in front of the hall and said, "The meal is ready, Your Highness, please take a seat."
There was a table full of delicious dishes, including meat, vegetables, and even two spicy roasted lamb and steamed fish dishes.
Qi Qinghe's heart trembled. Isn't this exactly her favorite food?
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