Li Wei assumed that Xie Liwei would wander around the Phoenix Palace after leaving the main hall. Unexpectedly, Xie Liwei took the lantern from him and said calmly, "No need for you, Eunuch. I can return on my own."
Then he slowly walked towards the palace gate.
Li Wei crossed his hands, watched Xie Liwei's retreating figure, and sighed.
The Carefree Prince is truly pitiful. He lost his own sister early in life, and now he can't even keep his wife. His master is inhuman; what can a servant like him do? Naturally, his master caused the trouble, and he has to clean up the mess.
well!
Li Wei entered the inner hall, but before he could speak, the emperor asked, "Are you gone?"
"yes."
"You may leave."
"Here you go!"
Yuwen Wuji then put down his book and strolled into the inner hall. The inner hall was dimly lit, and several candles had already gone out. Yuwen Wuji had no intention of having the palace servants come in to light the lamps; he only wanted to fulfill his long-cherished wish as soon as possible.
Once he succeeds, Song San will be a plaything he can manipulate.
He walked to the bedside, lifted the heavy bed curtains, and leaned over onto the bed.
However, there was no one left on the bed!
"Guards!" Yuwen Wuji roared, "Where is he?!"
Li Wei was terrified, thinking to himself that the carefree princess had actually run away! Good riddance! But now that the emperor was furious, he had no choice but to send people to search for her.
Outside the palace, Xie Liwei carried a lantern and went around to the back of Fengwu Palace. Song Yaozhu was placed by Fang Rao next to an ancient tree. There was a robe under her, but Fang Rao had already disappeared.
Xie Liwei looked at the unconscious woman, let out a deep breath, and went forward to pick her up in his arms.
Putting everything else aside, this woman really didn't eat a single meal for free; he almost couldn't lift her.
"You actually fell for that trick?" Xie Liwei scoffed, but the woman in his arms whimpered, "Isn't this giving the prince a chance to play the hero and save the damsel in distress?"
Xie Liwei's lips pressed into a straight line, "If you're not dizzy, get down and walk by yourself."
"No, no," Song Yaozhu said weakly, "I have no strength left."
Hearing her whimpering, Xie Liwei took pity on her and carried her out of the palace.
Fang Rao was his bodyguard, but the palace was heavily guarded, and he couldn't move freely. He had only managed to sneak into the palace today by riding in a courier's carriage. Now that the prince was returning to his residence, he naturally needed to slip away as well.
The moment the carefree prince left the palace, the imperial concubine received the news.
"He took the person away? And there was no fight?" the Imperial Concubine asked in surprise.
Mo Yu replied with a strange expression, "The princess was taken away by the prince from the Orchid Garden."
Lanyuan was also a palace prepared for the noblewomen to rest, and Caijin fell into a deep sleep inside.
"How could this be?" she wondered, while also feeling regretful that she hadn't been able to witness a good show.
"I'm afraid something went wrong, and we don't even know which family's daughter was sent to the emperor's bed."
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Concubine felt a sudden unease, sensing that something significant was about to happen.
"Quickly send someone to inquire and see whose daughter is not at the banquet!"
Upon hearing this, Mo Yu hurriedly went to make arrangements. She had only been gone a short while when a palace maid came in, panicking, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Crown Prince is in trouble!"
"What is it?" the Imperial Concubine asked in a cold voice.
"His Highness was seen entangled with a eunuch!"
"What!" The Imperial Concubine immediately exclaimed, "How could he do such a foolish thing!"
With the appointment of the crown prince just around the corner after the New Year, how could he possibly have any chance of being appointed crown prince after doing something so shameful!
The Imperial Concubine disregarded everything else and hurriedly got up and went out. She had to get there to take charge!
Meanwhile, inside the main hall, many officials had already left the palace with their families. Having received their rewards and eaten and drunk their fill, they naturally went home to sleep early. Those who remained were mostly close colleagues who were already quite drunk and engaged in lively conversation.
Madam Song sat anxiously at the table. Song Wenyue had been gone for half an hour and still hadn't returned!
Not only did she not return, but neither did the Liu family's young lady.
She had already sent palace servants out to look for her, but there were too many things to do today, and the servants didn't have the time to specifically help her find her daughter, so they just gave her a token search.
Before long, several ladies who had gone out for a walk returned looking unwell, and then began to gossip among themselves.
Madam Song pricked up her ears to listen, and heard them say, "How foolish! How could they do such a thing!"
"Yes, the New Year is almost over, and he might just win the Emperor's favor, but he had to make a fool of himself on a special occasion like tonight!"
"Let's say as little as possible. If the Imperial Concubine finds out, we'll be in big trouble!"
The group composed themselves and stopped talking about it. But Madam Song's heart was pounding. She knew that Song Si was vain and was afraid that she was the one these ladies were talking about who had done something foolish.
Her thoughts were churning, and since her daughter hadn't returned yet, she got up to go look for her.
Besides the Orchid Garden, the Chuxiu Palace, which was usually only open during the imperial concubine selection, was also used today to entertain the ladies. Madam Song entered the Chuxiu Palace with her maid. After searching around and not finding Song Wenyue, she wandered around the palace.
However, she didn't expect that when she reached a corner in the garden, she heard a few barely audible groans. Worried that it might be her daughter, Madam Song rushed over, shone her lantern on the person opposite, and in the interplay of light and shadow, a distorted face appeared, causing Madam Song to scream in horror.
Her voice was so shrill that it tore through the silence, attracting the attention of the patrolling Imperial Guards, who caught the two in the act.
It was none other than the First Prince!
When the Imperial Concubine arrived in a hurry, the situation was already under control. She was still furious, and waved for anyone not involved to leave. Once only she and her son remained in the hall, the Imperial Concubine raised her hand and slapped the eldest prince across the face.
"Did you forget your brain today?! This is a state banquet, and you dare to do something so disgraceful to the palace! Do you think your position as crown prince is secure?!" She was heartbroken; how could the son she had raised be so foolish!
The eldest prince had already regained consciousness when he was taken away in public, and now that his mother had slapped him, he was filled with both fear and anger.
"Mother, someone plotted against me! I was out of my mind at the time, I just wanted to find a hole..."
"Slap!" Another slap landed on the Crown Prince's face. "I taught you with all my heart, and you still fall for such a low-level scheme. What will you be able to do in the future! What kind of drug made you unable to distinguish between men and women!"
The eldest prince held his swollen cheeks in his hands, feeling wronged but unable to express his grievances.
His mind was buzzing. He regretted his arrogance and worried about his father's reprimand tomorrow. He was even more afraid that others would find out about this and he would lose face.
"Mother, please help your son!" he pleaded, clutching the imperial concubine's robe.
"How can I help you! Today we've caught Madam Song and so many Imperial Guards in the act. Do you want me to silence them all?!"
The eldest prince slumped to the ground, slowly realizing that his fate was sealed.
"My son..." The Imperial Concubine stroked his head tenderly. "I heard from your mother that the Liu family girl happens to like the third prince. After the New Year, let her become the third prince's imperial concubine."
The eldest prince looked at the Imperial Concubine in disbelief, "Mother, are you going to abandon me?!"
He's the eldest son!
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