Chapter 70: The lady seems very afraid of me?
As evening approached, Li Pan and Lou Xueying returned to the hunting ground camp and returned the horses.
There was another banquet tonight, and everyone was seated separately. This time, Lou Xueying didn't go to the men's section. Instead, she held Li Pan's hand at the fork in the road and told him, "Just in case, don't eat too much. Wait for me to come find you. If you don't see me, don't wander around. Just wait at the door."
Li Pan felt that she was saying this to a child, but he still smiled and agreed.
Tonight's banquet was not much different from yesterday's, except that a few of the winners of the autumn hunt had changed, the dishes on the table had been replaced, and the singing and dancing had been adjusted. Overall, the atmosphere was the same as yesterday, with the emperor and his ministers enjoying themselves immensely.
Li Pan ate his light snacks in silence. After the others had finished their drinks and the atmosphere was just right, Li Pan stood up, walked to the center of the room, cupped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Emperor Jinghui paused, stared at Li Pan, and slowly put down his chopsticks.
"Is the matter that Minister Li reported public or private?"
"Your Majesty, it is official business."
“Since it is official business, we can discuss it when we return to court,” Emperor Jinghui said. “These next few days are like a holiday. Unless it is an extremely urgent matter, there is no need to bring it up here and spoil everyone’s mood.”
Li Pan: "Although it is not extremely urgent, I believe that since it concerns the people and the nation, it is best to deal with it as soon as possible."
The others stopped talking and quieted down, looking at Li Pan, wanting to hear what he had to say.
At this point, Emperor Jinghui had no choice but to go along with him and say, "Then tell me about it."
"Your Majesty," Li Pan said, his voice steady and his gaze intense, "Although the Quanrong have submitted, as Your Majesty previously stated, many tribes in the Northwest still harbor rebellious intentions. Autumn has now arrived, and the border grasses are withered and yellow. According to past precedents, every winter, these foreign tribes, struggling to survive, come to harass caravans and plunder the people. Even with the divine stone as a deterrent, it is difficult to stop those who will take the risk." The peace and tranquility of the border are crucial to the stability of the nation, and I dare not be negligent for a moment. Therefore, I earnestly request to return to the Northwest, strengthen defenses, guard the borders, eliminate hidden dangers, and reassure the hearts of all subjects.
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Furthermore, I have another request. My father passed away early, and lately he has often appeared in my dreams at midnight, asking why I haven't visited him in so long, and scolding me for being old, without a wife or children, and for being unfilial. I suspect that my father's grave is far in the northwest, and I haven't paid my respects there for a long time, so he doesn't know that I've married. As the anniversary of my father's death approaches, I wish to take this opportunity to visit him with my family. I hope Your Majesty will grant me this chance to fulfill my filial duty."
Emperor Jinghui sat quietly at the head of the table, looking down at Li Pan, his expression unreadable.
In his previous life, Li Pan also proposed returning to the northwest to guard the border in the autumn, but he did not make the request in person at the autumn hunting grounds, but submitted it in a memorial to the emperor after returning to the capital.
In both his previous and current lives, he requested to return to the border with his family. However, last time he only had his elderly mother, while this time he had a wife. In order to bring his wife back, his father, who was buried underground, even appeared in a dream that he had never heard from in his previous life.
Emperor Jinghui was not surprised by this.
He looked at the Crown Prince sitting below him. The Crown Prince had his eyes downcast, looking at the dishes on the table. His hands were folded on his knees, his posture was upright, and his face was calm.
Emperor Jinghui withdrew his gaze and said to Li Pan, "Minister Li is loyal and filial, which pleases me greatly. However, the last expedition was rushed, and the various departments were indeed in a state of chaos for a while in order to obtain food and manpower, which also led to a lot of discussion. Now that we are going to guard the border in the dead of winter, all military supplies and defenses need to be carefully planned and made sure to be done in a comprehensive manner. This matter is complicated and should not be decided hastily at the moment. After the banquet tonight, I will discuss it in detail with Minister Li and the other ministers."
He paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and asked, "Is your cold any better, Minister Li? You won't be leaving early again tonight to go back and rest, will you?"
Li Pan took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My cold is much better. I am humbled that Your Majesty is still concerned about state affairs after the banquet."
"Even though Minister Li is unwell, he still does not forget the border defense. If all officials had such a patriotic heart as Minister Li, what harm would it do for me to work harder?" Emperor Jinghui said. "Minister Li, please take a seat."
Li Pan bowed and returned to his seat.
The music and dance resumed, and the atmosphere at the banquet began to flow once more.
Lord Wei leaned closer and asked Li Pan, "Lord Marquis, are you really going back to the Northwest?"
Li Pan: "Winter is the season most prone to trouble, as Lord Wei surely knows. I will need your assistance with military supplies matters at that time. I offer you a toast with water instead of wine."
Lord Wei clinked glasses with him and sighed.
After a while, a palace servant came to Li Pan's side to deliver a message. Upon hearing this, Li Pan got up and walked outside.
This time, Lou Xueying herself was standing at the door.
When Lou Xueying saw Li Pan, she first looked him over. Seeing that he was alright, she breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Shall we go?"
Li Pan said, "I'm afraid I can't leave yet." He then told Emperor Jinghui that he wanted to stay and discuss matters with him.
Lou Xueying's eyes widened, and she quickly pulled Li Pan away to a secluded place, whispering, "Why did you choose today to say this!"
Li Pan: "He covered up what happened last night. I won't pursue it, but that doesn't mean I don't care. Even if I can't do anything to him, I have to let him know that I, Li Pan, can't always swallow my anger like this! Since it has to be said sooner or later, I might as well say it today. He can't have let me go to the Northwest to fight before, and now he won't let me go! So many people know that my father's death anniversary is approaching and I want a daughter-in-law. If he stops me from taking you back to fulfill my filial duties, what kind of situation is that?"
Lou Xueying frowned: "It's so late, why is he still keeping you here to discuss matters..."
“This involves military affairs, and several other officials will also be staying behind,” Li Pan said. “Since the others are also here, nothing should go wrong.”
Lou Xueying asked suspiciously, "Could it be that we're really talking about serious business?"
Li Pan: "Even if he doesn't want to talk about it, I brought it up, so he at least has to go through the motions."
Lou Xueying couldn't help but twist her sleeves.
Li Pan: "Alright, don't worry. We don't know how late we'll be discussing this. You can go back and rest now."
"No, I won't go back. I'll wait for you." Lou Xueying said firmly, "Wherever you go to hold the meeting, I'll wait for you there."
Li Pan patted her head: "That's fine too."
...
The banquet finally ended, and it was nearly 9 PM. The emperor and his entourage left first, but Eunuch Zheng stayed behind and selected several officials to accompany Li Pan to the emperor's bedchamber for a meeting.
Li Pan asked Eunuch Zheng, "May I ask, my wife would also like to come along, not to discuss any matters, but simply to wait outside? Is that convenient?"
Eunuch Zheng said, "The weather is getting cold, and the dew is heavy as the night deepens. I don't know how long the meeting will take. It might not be appropriate for Madam to wait outside alone."
Li Pan: "She has a stubborn temper and insists on waiting for me."
The faces of the other officials, including Lord Wei, twitched involuntarily.
What are the Marquis of Wu'an and his wife doing? They're always glued together and refuse to separate. Are they conjoined twins?
Eunuch Zheng glanced at Li Pan and saw that his expression was calm but his eyes were sharp. He forced a smile and said, "No unauthorized people are allowed to approach His Majesty's bedchamber. If Madam insists on waiting, this old servant can arrange a place for Madam to rest outside the bedchamber for the time being."
Li Pan: "That's fine too, thank you for your trouble, Father-in-law."
Having received permission, Lou Xueying followed Li Pan and the others towards the emperor's bedroom.
She and Li Pan remained silent throughout the journey. When they finally caught sight of the eaves of the palace in the distance, Eunuch Zheng smiled and gestured for her to stop: "Madam, the area ahead is heavily guarded. This is enough. If you are tired, you may rest in the pavilion over there."
Lou Xueying looked in the direction Eunuch Zheng pointed. The scenery in the inner garden of the imperial palace was much more exquisite than that in the outer garden, especially around the royal bedchamber, where the vegetation was lush and green, without a single yellow leaf. Not far away, there was a small pavilion with lanterns hanging from the eaves, nestled among the green plants. Inside, there was a stone table and round stools, which was indeed a nice place to rest.
Lou Xueying bowed slightly: "Thank you, sir."
Li Pan said in a low voice, "If it gets too late and the weather gets too cold, don't force yourself to stay awake. Go back and rest."
"I'm not cold," Lou Xueying said. "I'll wait for you here."
She took a step and walked towards the pavilion, but she kept turning back every few steps, as if she was reluctant to part with Li Pan.
Lord Wei, unable to bear it any longer, coughed lightly: "My lord, shouldn't we be leaving too? It wouldn't be good to keep His Majesty waiting for us, would it?"
Li Pan withdrew his gaze and said, "Please excuse my poor appearance, everyone."
Lou Xueying stood in the pavilion, watching Li Pan and the others disappear at the end of the long road.
There was hardly anyone around, and if it weren't for the sufficient lantern lighting, it would probably be a bit scary at night.
Lou Xueying looked around at the pavilion she was in, or more accurately, a half-pavilion. One side was against a red wall, and the other three sides were empty. But when she looked up, she could see that there was a bamboo curtain on each of the three sides of the pavilion roof, but it was rolled up at the moment and could not be seen unless you looked closely.
Lou Xueying had nothing to do, so she decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. However, the patrolling guards passed by and saw her. They must have been instructed not to send her away, but to remind her: "Eunuch Zheng asked Madam to rest here for a while. Please do not wander around, so as not to cause any misunderstandings."
Lou Xueying then retreated back into the pavilion.
The night was indeed getting cooler, and Lou Xueying could only sit for a little over half an hour before she began to feel restless. She got up and lowered all the bamboo curtains that had been hanging on three sides. While this blocked some of the wind, it also blocked out much of the light from outside the pavilion.
She sat in the dimly lit pavilion, folding her wide sleeves several times and placing them under her arms to shield herself from the chill of the stone table.
She didn't know how much time had passed; she was practically dozing off on the table, but Li Pan still hadn't returned.
She was a little worried, but dared not run around. She could only get up and walk to the pavilion, lift a corner of the bamboo curtain and look out, hoping to see if she could encounter another patrol team and ask them for information.
She waited for a long time, but the guards didn't come. Instead, she saw two people slowly walking towards her from the other end of the road.
At first, she didn't recognize who it was. But as the other person got closer, she saw the two figures, one tall and one short, and immediately took a step back in fright, quickly closing the bamboo curtain.
It's the Crown Prince and Eunuch Cao!
What's the Crown Prince doing here?
No, this is the inner palace of the royal family. The emperor, empress, crown prince, and the other princes and princesses all have their palaces in this area. It's perfectly normal for him to be here. She is the one who shouldn't be here.
She bit her lip, her heart pounding, praying that they wouldn't notice them, when she heard a whoosh behind her as someone lifted the bamboo curtain.
She turned around and saw Eunuch Cao standing in front of the pavilion, peeking out.
"Lady of the Marquis of Wu'an?" Eunuch Cao exclaimed in surprise, turning to the Crown Prince standing at the crossroads, "Your Highness, it is Lady of the Marquis of Wu'an."
Lou Xueying pressed herself stiffly against the wall, momentarily forgetting the etiquette of greeting, and could only watch as the person walked closer step by step with his hands behind his back, and stood by the pavilion.
The lantern's bright light enveloped him, making him appear tall, elegant, and graceful.
"Why is Madam here?" He frowned slightly, looking at her with some doubt. "I saw her from afar and thought she was some daring assassin."
Lou Xueying swallowed hard before stammering, "Your Highness, your subject and wife are waiting for the Marquis here."
"The Marquis of Wu'an and the Emperor are discussing matters. It's so late, and they're still not finished?" the Crown Prince said. "It's already late. Why doesn't Madam go back to wait? You're all alone here waiting. Aren't you afraid?"
Lou Xueying: "Your subject... Your subject..."
The Crown Prince stepped forward, gazed at her, and said softly, "Madam seems to be very afraid of me?"
"Your Highness misunderstands... This is the first time I've spoken to Your Highness, and I'm very nervous..."
"I heard that yesterday, my lady stood up for Marquis Wu'an and drank wine for him. She is a heroine among women and doesn't seem like the type to get nervous easily." The Crown Prince chuckled lightly. "Could it be that my reputation is bad, making my lady afraid?"
"Your Highness is joking." Lou Xueying finally managed to calm herself down and said with a forced smile, "This humble woman has long admired Your Highness's reputation. All the officials praise Your Highness highly. How can you say that your reputation is bad?"
The Crown Prince sighed softly: "Perhaps it's the recent turmoil that makes me feel like I've done something wrong."
Eunuch Cao, standing to the side, lowered his head, staring at his toes, not daring to breathe.
Ever since the Crown Prince asked him last night to arrange for palace maids to seduce Marquis Wu'an, he's felt that the Crown Prince has gone mad.
Marquis Wu'an had no grudge against the Crown Prince, so why would the Crown Prince suddenly frame him? And with such a despicable tactic!
Those who could become the Crown Prince's personal eunuchs were not stupid people. Even if he was slow to react, he finally realized what was going on.
Considering the Crown Prince's constant staring at the Marquis of Wu'an and his wife and his inquiries about their whereabouts over the past few days, he belatedly realized a shocking truth—His Highness the Crown Prince probably had feelings for the Marquis of Wu'an's wife.
But when did this start?! He follows the Crown Prince every day, but he hasn't seen a single sign of it! And didn't His Highness only meet Lady Wu'an for the first time that day when he went out of the palace with Miss Yao? Could it be that he fell in love at first sight?
He certainly couldn't interfere with who his master liked, but he still tried to advise him, saying that if there were any issues, he could discuss them with the Empress first. However, the Crown Prince was determined to do so, and he couldn't disobey him.
As a result, the plot failed, and Marquis Wu'an kicked down the door and ran away.
It is said that she was dragged away by the Lady of Wu'an Marquis to run away together.
After learning of this, the crown prince's face never lit up again.
Eunuch Cao had been walking on thin ice all day. When he heard Marquis Wu'an report that he wanted to return to the Northwest that evening, he was startled. He wondered if Marquis Wu'an was angry. But then he thought that this was a good thing. The Crown Prince couldn't possibly chase him all the way to the Northwest. Given time, he would surely be able to let it go.
Unexpectedly, after the banquet ended, the Marquis of Wu'an was summoned by the Emperor for a meeting, and the Crown Prince sent someone to inquire about the whereabouts of the Marquis's wife. Upon learning that the wife was waiting by the roadside, the Crown Prince merely grunted and made no further response.
Eunuch Cao thought that his master still had some sense and wouldn't do anything reckless under the emperor's nose. However, half an hour later, after the crown prince had finished washing up and was about to rest, he suddenly sent someone to inquire whether the emperor and others had finished their discussion. After finding that they hadn't, he sat for a while longer, then hurriedly put on his clothes, got up, and said he was going out.
Cao Gonggong screamed inwardly in despair.
Ever since the day the emperor tried to kill the crown prince, the relationship between the father and son has been like a cracked ice surface, ready to collapse at the slightest mishap.
Now the Crown Prince is disregarding the Emperor and insisting on going to see the Lady of Wu'an Marquis. Could it be that he has been cursed? If someone sees him, the Crown Prince's reputation will be completely ruined!
But he was just a eunuch, and even if his master jumped into the river, he could only follow without hesitation.
What else could he do? He couldn't stop his master from having a secret rendezvous with the Lady of Wu'an Marquis; he could only help cover for her.
However, things seemed to have developed in a way that exceeded his expectations. He originally thought that the Crown Prince was using the pretext of checking on the assassins to strike up a conversation with the Lady of Wu'an Marquis and let everyone get to know each other. Who knew that the Crown Prince would start to pour his heart out after only a few words and even talk about the recent turmoil—is this something that can be talked about casually?
"The innocent are innocent, Your Highness need not be too hard on yourself." Lou Xueying forced a smile at the Crown Prince.
Before the Crown Prince could respond, she quickly added, "This humble woman is merely waiting for someone, not an assassin. Your Highness can rest assured once you see me. It's getting late; if Your Highness has matters to attend to, please go ahead and do so, lest you neglect important business."
The Crown Prince replied, "I originally intended to see my father, but it's already this late, and he and Marquis Wu'an haven't finished their discussion yet."
Lou Xueying: "Then... Your Highness should also go back and rest early."
The Crown Prince did not move, but continued to ask, "The Marquis of Wu'an submitted a memorial today, wishing to take his wife back to the Northwest. Is your wife aware of this?"
Lou Xueying: "Of course I know."
"Forgive my boldness, but why would Madam agree to return to the Northwest with Marquis Wu'an? Madam grew up in the capital since childhood. Could it be that Vice Minister Lou is also willing to let Madam leave home?"
Lou Xueying's heart skipped a beat.
This is too much! Why would he suddenly ask me this out of the blue? Could it be... could it be that he fell in love with her at first sight that day?
She panicked for a moment and subconsciously replied, "Wherever the Marquis goes, I will naturally go. Besides, my father-in-law's death anniversary is approaching, and he is eagerly hoping that the Marquis will marry and have children. How can I not go to pay my respects?"
"To marry and have children..." the Crown Prince repeated slowly, then chuckled softly. "The Lady and Marquis Wu'an have no children. Even if we go, I'm afraid we won't be able to fulfill the old man's wish."
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