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It was not until he got on the carriage and slowly drove away that Qi Qinghe felt that his feet were stepping on real objects.
Qi Qingyu's words shocked her so much that she was stunned.
She could not understand how a young lady who lived a life of luxury in her boudoir and never left the house could have such courage. If she failed once, she would try again. No matter how strict and arbitrary her father Qi Lin was, she would not change her mind.
Time went back to half an hour ago. After Qi Qinghe asked that question, he asked her why she had to escape. Qi Qingyu was silent for a long time before she said, "This is not what I want."
"My father was a dictator and would not tolerate a single word of criticism from the family. Ever since I was little, I've never had a say in what I read, what I wore, what I ate, and what I used, let alone matters like marriage."
"Eighteen years, I've had enough. Rather than letting my father marry me off to someone and let him control me for the rest of my life, I'd rather find another way to make a living on my own."
Qi Qingyu spoke slowly, word by word, and in the end, she had only one thing in mind: she didn't want to be manipulated anymore. After that, she turned her head and looked at Qi Qinghe, "Sister, you should be the same as me."
Qi Qinghe didn't say anything. She lowered her head and took a sip of tea. The tea was bitter without a hint of sweetness, completely different from what she drank in the palace.
She thought Qi Qingyu was right.
Although she had no worries about food and clothing in the palace, which was all of the highest quality, the palace rules were strict and she was extremely restricted everywhere. The Queen and Fu Jingyuan hated her, and there was also the young princess who was not to be messed with, and the prince who was always polite and inappropriate in his words.
Outside the palace, all the nominal uncles and aunts were not easy to deal with, but my mother was in the hands of her uncles and was controlled by them.
She didn't seem to be very happy as the imposter princess, not to mention the danger of being exposed. It was impossible for her to stay in the palace for long.
Qi Qinghe didn't comment and instead asked her if she had any ideas.
Qi Qingyu had already thought about this. She could talk to him herself. All she had to do was invite Qi Qinghe into the palace, and it would start as soon as she left.
Escaping from the palace is a serious matter, so we need to wait for the right opportunity.
"I've asked around, sister." Qi Qingyu gently held her sister's hand, her voice even softer. "I know that whenever there's a banquet in the palace, the gate in the southwest corner, which is always locked, will be opened for a moment. This is for the palace servants to throw in some debris, but not to enter. To return to the palace, they have to walk a little further, around the west side, and go back there. Although the search here is strict, there are still some ways to deal with it."
That's a good idea. Qi Qinghe nodded. "You could have left on your own. Why are you helping me?"
"Sister, you entered the palace because of me, so I should handle it." Qi Qingyu said, putting a dagger and a jade pendant in her sister's hand. "I know you don't believe me. If I regret it, just blame me."
The word "Yu" was engraved on the emerald green and transparent jade pendant, and the dagger was truly beautiful, with a handle inlaid with dazzling rubies. The dagger was sharp and almost as long as her palm.
At this time, the dagger was lying in Qi Qinghe's sleeve.
Retracting her thoughts, she glanced at the two maids on her left and right. They looked hesitant and wanted to speak but stopped. "If you want to ask, just ask. Why hold it in?"
These two maids were not much older than Qin'er, and she rarely treated them with restraint.
"Your Majesty, how is that maid? She...she won't be bullied again if she stays in your house, right?" Yun Xing was pushed by Yun Tao and fell straight in front of the Empress, spilling some tea.
Yun Xing didn't have time to glare at Yun Tao, so she grabbed the corner of her clothes and asked carefully. She wanted to ask if the maid was really dirty, but she suddenly remembered the empress's expression at that time and couldn't help swallowing.
"No." Qi Qinghe chuckled. Her good uncle and aunt were so busy worrying about the substitutionary marriage that was almost exposed that they had no time to bother with Qin'er.
The carriage creaked and stopped in front of the palace gate. She slowly got off and subconsciously looked to the southwest.
The red walls and black tiles towered into the clouds, and the palace gate that Qi Qingyu mentioned was obviously not visible here.
She took a look, then looked away as if nothing had happened, lowered her body and got into the sedan chair to go to the East Palace.
There were only a few palace maids cleaning the Mingcheng Palace, and there was no sign of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Qi Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief and was about to enter the hall when a voice behind her pinned her to the spot.
"Why, are you happy that I'm not around?"
The sudden sound startled her and she stepped back suddenly.
Xiao Junbai frowned even deeper. Is he really that scary?
"Your Highness, why is there no movement at all? I was so scared." Qi Qinghe patted her chest and stepped aside a little, asking the prince to leave first. "I just came back and haven't had dinner yet. Your Highness, would you like to stay with us?"
Xiao Junbai remained silent, still thinking about the Crown Princess's reaction just now.
The Crown Princess had a plain little face, her eyes widened with fear, her bright eyes full of panic. The Crown Prince did not miss the fleeting glint of avoidance in her eyes.
What exactly is this? Is it because she feels guilty or is she afraid of him?
Xiao Junbai couldn't make up his mind. In the morning at Qingyaju, he called Fu Jingxuan into the palace again and briefly told him two things.
The first was the identity of the Crown Princess. Fu Jingxuan was warned again not to mention it to anyone. Although the Crown Prince had made up his mind, he could not resist the palace rules and etiquette and many laws that he had learned over the years. For the time being, he just burned the letters with candles and kept the portrait, hiding it in the study. Only he knew about it.
The second thing was that Xiao Junbai sighed, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and asked how to make a girl happy.
Fu Jingxuan laughed for a full incense stick, then cleared his throat a few times and offered his Highness a suggestion, "Girls, what they love is nothing more than a few things, hair ornaments, rouge and powder, or exquisite and delicious tea and snacks. Your Highness, try to please her."
"Also, my prince, please control your temper and say nice things to the girl. Which girl can't be coaxed?" Fu Jingxuan said earnestly.
As his thoughts returned, Xiao Junbai glanced back and saw the Crown Princess with a smile on her face, telling him about her journey home.
He hummed from time to time, entered the hall and sat down, then said calmly, "Lord Qi has returned to the capital this year. I guess you haven't been to the capital before. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, would you like to go out of the palace for a walk?"
This sentence was taught word by word by Fu Jingxuan. Fu Jing claimed that one should speak gently to girls so as not to make them nervous or afraid.
Xiao Junbai lowered his eyes and didn't look at the person sitting opposite him. He filled his cup of tea and clenched his other hand into a fist.
He was not careful and the tea overflowed. It was not until Qi Qinghe screamed that he came to his senses, raised his hand and poured all the tea onto the ground.
Qi Qinghe had never seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince like this. In the past, His Royal Highness was serious, steady, strict, and frugal with words. He would never speak so long as he did today and even invite her out of the palace for a tour.
She glanced around, not knowing what to say for a moment. She accidentally noticed that the teacup in His Highness's hand was overfull of tea, and she subconsciously exclaimed.
"Since Your Highness is in such a good mood, I will of course accompany you." Although Qi Qinghe didn't understand why His Highness was acting so abnormally today, she hesitated for a moment and then agreed.
She had indeed never been to the capital, so she might as well take this opportunity to go there.
The matter was settled.
After dinner, Qi Qinghe took a nap in the palace. Xiao Junbai called Chengxi and asked her in the side hall how the Crown Princess was doing in Qi Mansion today.
Cheng Xi carefully considered her words and spoke in detail, especially about the Crown Princess protecting the maid, spending time alone with the maid, and visiting her mother.
Cheng Xi didn't dare to hide it, because His Highness was not someone who could be easily deceived, so he secretly looked up and saw that the prince's brows were furrowed even more tightly. He immediately lowered his head and dared not look at him again.
Xiao Junbai rubbed his brows, dismissed Cheng Xi, and sat alone in the side hall. His eyes were dim and difficult to discern, and he did not move for a long time.
…
Since Xiao Junbai had agreed to let the Crown Princess go out of the palace for a trip, he kept it in mind and stood in the corridor, waiting for the Crown Princess to dress up.
Through a thin layer of window paper, you can see a slender figure with long hair falling like a waterfall. The thin figure takes off her inner clothes and puts on layered palace clothes.
The Crown Prince watched silently for a moment, then advised, "When you go out of the palace for fun, you should wear something simple and light, and don't attract too much attention."
Qi Qinghe had just put on a layer of her palace dress. Upon hearing this, she responded quickly. After choosing again and again, she changed into a light purple dress and a snow-white cloak.
After the maid pushed open the palace door, she walked out slowly, holding up the hem of her skirt with both hands, her trembling eyelashes raised, and her bright almond eyes had a hint of shyness as if she wanted to speak but couldn't.
In the past, she mostly wore simple gray-white clothes, but after entering the palace, she wore luxurious palace clothes. She had never worn a dress like this before.
She asked softly, "Your Highness, does this look good on me?"
Xiao Junbai looked over when he heard the voice and saw the Crown Princess dressed in white and purple, with her slender arms hidden in her sleeves, her hands folded in front of her waist, her cheeks snowy and her eyes almond-shaped, she looked lively and smart.
He looked away instantly, reminding her that it was time to leave the palace.
Qi Qinghe responded and followed the prince dejectedly.
It is now the hour of You, a perfect time for sightseeing. The sky is orange-red, and gray-white clouds are rolling in from the horizon, blocking half of the sunlight.
The couple rode in a carriage and stopped at Shenhua Street.
Qi Qinghe wore a veil, and the light gauze as white as snow and frost covered her face.
Only two or three days have passed since the Mid-Autumn Festival, but vendors along the streets are still selling lanterns. The lanterns in various shapes are very exquisite.
Qi Qinghe had only seen it from a distance and had never looked at it so closely. She could not help but stop and raised her hand to grab Xiao Junbai's sleeve. She was outside the palace and could not call him "Your Highness". "Husband, I want that."
Her slender white fingers pointed at the small and exquisite rabbit lamp not far ahead.
Xiao Junbai walked fast with big steps. When she pulled him suddenly and he heard her clear voice calling him like this, his pupils suddenly shrank and his whole body froze.
Qi Qinghe raised her head and looked at the prince's back. Seeing that the prince did not move, she gently lowered her hand, no longer pulling him, nor pointing at the lantern.
"It's a festive occasion, why don't you buy one for your wife and pray for happiness and reunion every year." The lantern vendor was very discerning. He saw the handsome young man and his beautiful wife from afar, so he trotted over with the rabbit lantern in his hand and handed the lantern to the wife.
Qi Qinghe hung his hands at his sides, moved his fingers slightly, reached towards his waist, took out his purse and was about to pay.
The prince, who had his back to her, suddenly turned around and held Qi Qinghe down with his big hands, telling her not to move. He casually threw the purse from his waist to the vendor and said, "Take another one, please."
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