Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Meeting an Old Friend
As spring draws to a close and the flowers bloom, the orange, yellow, tangerine and green colors complement each other in an endless array, fitting the elegant name of Xiangyuan.
It was still early when Xiao Mao came back from the morning court, so he came here and sat for a while. He rubbed his eyebrows tiredly and asked the eunuch next to him.
"What did the Crown Princess say?"
"Your Highness, Miss Bai Yan, who is with the Crown Princess, said that she is not feeling well and will not be coming today."
Glancing at the empty space beside him, Xiao Mao took a sip of wine. When he put down the cup, it was still tightly gripped in his palm, his joints had turned pale from the blood loss due to the force.
"Bang--"
The wine glass smashed to the ground.
The debris scattered all over the floor was gone and no one dared to pick it up. The young eunuch who answered the question lay on the ground trembling with fear, and the other servants knelt with their heads bowed, not daring to breathe hard.
There were barely noticeable wine stains on the wide sleeves. Xiao Mao lowered his eyes and lifted the cuffs slightly, taking a quick look. On the cuffs was the blue bird that the Crown Princess had sewn herself when she got married.
Now I look at it again and it becomes even more annoying.
"I'm going back to change my clothes, you guys clean up here."
After he left, the low and terrifying aura dissipated, and the garden came back to life. Only then did the servants dare to get up and clean up the mess on the ground, their heartbeats still pounding from the beating of the drums.
As the Si hour approached, the invited candidates and their families arrived in Xiangyuan one after another, holding their invitations and taking their seats.
"The wind is gentle, the flowers are in bloom, let the rain and wind blow them away."
"With deep feelings and lingering emotions, let her tremble like a pear blossom on the branch."
Shen Wenjian couldn't help but nudge a classmate beside him: "What kind of poem is this in broad daylight?"
"You don't understand. Good poems should be reserved for the Crown Prince and the Imperial Concubine to appreciate."
The candidates who went to Beijing to take the imperial examinations wrote poems to each other and joked with each other, and chatted freely. Even the best scholars could not avoid the custom of looking down on each other. Although they appeared to be warm and calm on the surface, their casual works were also full of verbal battles, and they competed with each other for the first place. Everyone tried their best to strive for the first place, hoping to leave a strong mark on this Xiangyuan flower viewing banquet. If they could be appreciated, it would be twice the result with half the effort and they would be on the ladder to success.
The invitation from the Eastern Palace was well-organized, the wine tables were arranged according to regulations, and the female and male relatives sat at separate tables.
It was inconvenient for Lu Suizhu to follow Shen Wenjian into the men's seats, so she took this opportunity to leave.
The long corridor of the East Palace is winding and full of rocks and water. It was originally built by the best geomancer who combined the five elements of Feng Shui, the sun, the moon, and the universe. Lu Suizhu walked along the ground along the intricate eaves.
The magnolia wind chimes jingled one after another, the sound was crisp but not loud, rubbing against one's ears. If one listened carefully, it sounded like white jade grinding fine gauze, pleasant and ethereal, with the rustling of sand falling.
Even for such an important occasion, there was no one guarding the corridor. It seemed that Xiao Mao had left her with plenty of room to maneuver.
In the past, Ying Yi always led them here through the only path. Now, Lu Suizhu was alone and had to carefully grope his way through the palaces and bedrooms.
Walking out of the corridor and passing the bushes, I saw the deep courtyard and the magnificent and elegant bedroom. I didn’t know where I was.
When he was at a loss, he heard the faint conversation of palace maids in the room. Lu Suizhu stopped and looked out the window.
"I heard that the Sixth Prince is ill, but I don't know if it's true or not. Who knows if he will come today?"
"How could it be such a coincidence? I think the imperial concubine is just on guard against His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
While sweeping the ashes, the maids chatted with each other.
In an instant, an elderly nanny walked out from the inner room. She had a gray face and red lips with some layers of purple. Her voice was as rough and heavy as a suona, and she scolded them harshly without mercy.
"You guys are the ones who said what happened to the master. If I hear you say it again, I'll pull out your tongues and feed them to the dogs."
The maid was so ferocious and rude that she frightened the maids into silence. They were afraid that their tongues would be pulled out, and they all shrank like quails.
Mammy took a deep breath and gave the order unhappily.
"The Imperial Concubine is in the Jiaolan Palace talking with the Crown Princess. You all should go over there and serve her. Don't cause any trouble for me."
A small hole was poked in the paper-pasted window. Seeing the nanny's sharp eyes scanning every corner like a hawk, Lu Suizhu felt a chill in her heart. She quickly turned around and walked quickly to the corner.
Seeing that no one was catching up, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Outside the Jiaolan Palace there is a pond of unknown depth. The water is particularly clear because it is often refilled. It originally housed several Taishan red-scaled fish that were presented by the Governor of Luzhou last year to congratulate the Crown Princess on her pregnancy. Now, only the half-dead fish is left.
The door of the temple was open, and there seemed to be many people inside.
"Princess Consort, please don't be too sad. You and His Royal Highness are both in the prime of life. You can always have children."
Imperial Concubine Jiang, who was sitting in front of the bed, frowned and covered the Crown Princess's hand, her words full of pity and care.
Behind the screen with the picture of a crane holding a pine tree are Su Miao, the president of Shendu Academy and a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, and his wife, as well as the families of officials from the Hanlin Academy, the Ministry of Rites, and some other civil officials, all of whom were invited to add color to the flower viewing banquet in Xiangyuan.
The Crown Princess is dead?
After eavesdropping for a long time, Lu Suizhu felt a little upset. She vaguely remembered that when she was stabbed and fell to the ground in Pei's mansion, she heard the servants report that the Crown Princess was having a difficult delivery.
"Who—who's there?"
A sudden shout completely messed up Lu Suizhu's thoughts and made her heart beat wildly.
The person approached, and it was the nanny who had just scolded the maid harshly. She was in a panic and kept calling for help.
This forced Lu Suizhu, who was hiding behind the rockery, to come out.
The commotion here was so loud that it alarmed the people in Jiaolan Palace. The Crown Princess was weak and had given up her chores, leaving everything to the old and fierce Matron Zheng who was by her side.
The woman in gorgeous clothes was supported by the palace maids beside her. She walked out slowly and dazzlingly. The others followed Concubine Jiang respectfully to see what was happening outside.
Suddenly, the quiet area outside the Jiaolan Palace was surrounded.
"Who are you and what are you doing here stealthily?"
The palace maid beside her was about to step forward, but Concubine Jiang raised her blue finger slightly, signaling her to step back. She had just looked at Lu Suizhu and she felt that she looked familiar. This time, when she saw her face clearly, she instantly became interested.
"Master Lu of Shoukang Palace, aren't you dead?"
When she gasped, her collarbone stood out and her neck was sunken. Lu Suizhu did not expect that the imperial concubine had such a good memory that she was criticized in public like this.
"Reporting to the Imperial Concubine, I did die once. Fortunately, God has mercy on me and I was saved. I have finally regained my life."
Deceiving the empress dowager is the same as deceiving the emperor. Lu Suizhu touched the scar on his chest, feeling undecided. He was at a loss for a moment before he answered. But if it really didn't work, he would have to give it up.
"Then why are you here?"
"I came with my brother to attend the flower viewing banquet. I accidentally got lost in the fragrant garden while looking for the female relatives' table."
"The Fragrant Garden where the banquet was held is quite far from the Pepper and Orchid Palace. Access to the secluded area requires passing through a winding corridor, reserved for nobles to rest. Furthermore, you were sneaking around behind the rockery for so long. What was your purpose? Who sent you here?"
Although Madam Zheng was still suspicious, she was still aggressive.
In the dark, Ying clenched his fists, lowered his brows and stamped his feet, hiding himself in the haystack, watching the situation that was completely out of control and escalating.
Today, the Sixth Prince suddenly caught a cold. Xiao Mao asked him to inform Lu Suizhu, but he was still half a step too late.
The crossbow arrow was about to fly out of the sleeve.
The sharp light stared at Lu Suizhu's lips that were about to open, his brows were furrowed, and his steady arms were raised slowly.
If she uttered a word about the prince.
The crossbow will leave the hole and go straight into the chest.
As the Crown Princess's confidant, Madam Zheng's words were the Crown Princess's words. She was relentless and left Lu Suizhu no room to escape.
Under the heavy pressure, the veins on the back of his hands bulged. Lu Suizhu closed his eyes and mustered up his courage, speaking as fast as a gong.
"I have long heard of the Shangshu's renown and have grown in admiration for him. I wanted to take advantage of this flower viewing banquet to observe him from afar, but I ended up messing things up and disturbing you all. Please, Madam Royal Concubine, punish me."
The Minister of Rites, Wang Wenyuan, claimed that he had been ill for a long time and was old enough to be her father.
It should be okay to borrow his name.
The elbow holding the crossbow in the haystack gradually drooped, and Ying Yi quietly left.
Immersed in the feeling of having survived the disaster without panicking, Lu Suizhu didn't notice the people's suppressed laughter.
After a long time without anyone making a move, she slowly raised her head.
Looking in the direction of the crowd, I saw a neatly dressed and elegant man walking towards me. He was as tall and straight as a bamboo, and his long and well-proportioned legs were striding across the corridor.
He reached out and gently pushed aside the trembling branches in front of him that were covering his eyebrows, nodded and lowered his head as he walked past, bringing with him a gust of fragrant air.
"Master Shangshu, please come quickly. This girl here said she has admired you for a long time."
Such a lively scene had not happened for a long time. Imperial Concubine Jiang, who had been in the deep palace for a long time, could not help laughing, and there was an obvious teasing tone in her words. Others also moved when they heard the sound, covering their lips with their wide sleeves, but because of Master Pei's status, they had to try their best to restrain themselves, showing an appearance of wanting to laugh but not daring to.
Shangshu
What do they call him?
When was Pei Zhiji promoted?
With his mouth slightly open, a gentle breeze flowed down his throat. In such a dull and serious occasion, Lu Suizhu almost couldn't control his expression.
No matter how hard she tried, she would never have thought that she would meet him in such an embarrassing situation. If she could escape under her feet, her earlobes, which were red enough to drip blood, would melt the ground directly.
Seeing his footsteps getting closer, Lu Suizhu grabbed the belt at her waist tightly, and was a little panicked for a moment. She subconsciously took two steps back and wanted to escape.
But where can she hide?
When everyone was looking forward to this good show, Shen Wenjian was brought in. He looked anxious. He had just heard the palace maids and eunuchs whisper that something happened here, so he hurried over.
He bowed and apologized to the imperial concubine at the top.
"My sister Wenjia entered the palace for the first time and didn't know the rules. She offended the Imperial Concubine. Please forgive her and don't blame her."
It was a warm day with a gentle breeze. Pei Zhiji wore the brown cloak he usually wore in winter over his official uniform, and his face was pale as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.
A tall figure approached, and after the shock, calmness remained.
Looking into Lu Suizhu's eyes, Pei Zhiji frowned, his eyes were dark and dark, his tone was slightly angry, the ends of his eyebrows were raised, and he started to question.
"Wen-Jia"
The pronunciation is very slow, with a light ending tone.
When she was flustered, her whole body felt numb. Lu Suizhu was standing uncomfortably. She was very close to the edge of the pond, so she stepped back slightly to avoid Pei Zhiji's unfriendly gaze.
Unexpectedly, when he took a step back, he stepped on a round and slippery pebble, and his waist and entire back became weak.
His body suddenly fell backwards.
The man in front of her subconsciously reached out to pull her. When the two bodies got closer, her hands, which were no longer under her control, grabbed the only sash that she could hold onto, which was Pei Zhiji's waist.
The smoothness of the pebbles and the pull of gravity.
With a loud splash, a huge splash of water occurred and the two people fell into the lake together.
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