Li Tiao was startled and quickly turned around. She looked around and saw that besides the Eighth Prince and herself, there was only the Eighth Prince, his personal eunuch, and Hongye.
Hongye and the eunuch were far apart, so they probably didn't hear what the Eighth Prince said, and it was impossible for anyone else to hear it either.
Even so, Li Tiao was still terrified.
Is my intention really that obvious?
How come even the Eighth Prince knows?
"Eighth Prince, Li Tiao doesn't understand what you mean?"
"The reason why Father Emperor removed you from the imperial genealogy is unknown, but the common guess is that Father Emperor has feelings for you. I think you are a smart man and should have noticed it. Do you really want things to happen as everyone guesses?"
The Eighth Prince is a person with a name and surname in history. Although he seemed very casual when asking Li Tiao about this and that before, these few words touched Li Tiao's heart.
Li Tiao naturally did not want things to unfold as everyone had guessed.
However, Li Tiao was unwilling to let the Eighth Prince find a way to get her out of the palace.
The saying goes, "He who takes a man's money is bound to him, and he who eats another man's food is obligated
If she accepted the Eighth Prince's arrangement, she might never be able to escape his threat. If the Eighth Prince's final fate was merely to become a leisurely member of the imperial clan, then Li Tiao would accept it.
But heaven knows how tragic the Eighth Prince's final fate was.
The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm is a human survival instinct, so even if Li Tiao had to choose, she would still choose someone with a good ending.
"Li Tiao thanks the Eighth Prince for his concern. Li Tiao carries the lives of over a hundred people in the Li family on her shoulders."
"So you're just going to watch your fourth brother marry someone else? And then, when your fourth brother sees you, will he have to bow and pay his respects, and call you 'Mother Consort'?"
This is truly heartbreaking to hear!
However, Li Tiao was not fooled by the Eighth Prince's words: "Li Tiao thanks the Eighth Prince for his concern."
"Li Tiao, are you really sure about this?"
Li Tiao: "In response to Eighth Prince, may I be so bold as to ask you a question? Why are you helping me so much? Do you want me to stay by Fourth Prince's side as your spy? But compared to that, it would be much easier for you to find another suitable person to be your spy by Fourth Prince's side than to help me leave here."
Afterwards, to avoid the Eighth Prince saying anything more, Li Tiao bowed slightly to him, winked at Hongye, and quickly left.
Li Tiao firmly believed that something unusual must be going on.
Previously, her situation wasn't so perilous, and Li Tiao thought she had kept her substitute marriage a complete secret. So, in order to prevent the Eighth Prince from revealing that she had been forced to agree to the Eighth Prince's request, she had no choice but to agree.
Now that Li Tiao knows, she was just being clever all along. Everyone who should know she was a substitute bride knows now, so what does she have to be afraid of?
When Li Tiao finally came to Su Ma La Gu's place again, Su Ma La Gu had already had someone prepare the room for Li Tiao to stay in.
"Thinking back now, I feel a little sorry for you," Su Ma La Gu said with a touch of emotion, holding Li Tiao's hand.
"Granny, you're exaggerating. What does Li Tiao's current state have to do with you?"
Sumalagu shook her head, indicating that there was still some connection. She said cryptically, "When this old servant heard you mention the Sixth Prince, I went to see the Emperor. If I hadn't gone to the Emperor..."
Although Su Mala Gu knew that if the Emperor had feelings for Li Tiao, he would have had them long ago, not because she went to see him.
However, Su Ma La Gu felt that if she hadn't gone to the Emperor and mentioned the Sixth Prince to him, the Emperor wouldn't have suggested reciting scriptures for the Empress Dowager to get Li Tiao to leave the palace.
If he hadn't left back then, while these later events might not have been completely avoided, they certainly wouldn't have led the Fourth Prince to take such a risk.
Having witnessed the Fourth Prince's reckless actions, the Emperor may have been forced to make this difficult decision.
However, Su Mala Gu couldn't be too direct with Li Tiao about what was on her mind, since she had her own selfish motives at the beginning.
"You can stay here with this old servant for now. This old servant can see that you don't want to climb the social ladder. Although Manchus and Han people have many different customs, it's not impossible for you to follow the emperor. But no matter how different they are, there will always be some issues between father and son."
Therefore, this old servant will do his best to help you. Although this old servant is just a servant, he still has some face in front of the Emperor because of his age.
This old servant cannot say that I will always protect you, but I will certainly do my best.
Li Tiao was deeply moved. She had initially been a little hesitant to believe it, thinking that Master Kang shouldn't be so blinded by lust. But now that even Su Mala Gu thought that Master Kang might really be blinded by lust, Li Tiao dared not have any more expectations.
"Li Tiao thanks Granny Su."
"Rest well. You've been taking care of this old servant all the way here; you must be tired too."
Li Tiao was indeed tired, but once she lay down, she couldn't fall asleep. She wasn't so carefree as to be able to sleep peacefully in such an uncertain situation.
Although she hadn't slept at all that night, Li Tiao still woke up early the next day. After all, things were different now compared to when she lived in the Prince's Residence. Although Li Tiao's status wasn't high back then, she was still considered a mistress.
However, now she's neither a master nor a maid, her status is truly awkward, so it's better to be more diligent.
Because Su Ma La Gu only eats one meal a day, Li Tiao eats breakfast by herself.
Just as she was about to find something to do after that, an imperial decree arrived from the Imperial Concubine.
Because of her awkward status, it was not Li Tiao's turn to receive the imperial decree.
Li Tiao didn't think that the Imperial Concubine's decree had anything to do with her, since they were complete strangers.
However, who knew that after receiving the imperial edict from the Imperial Concubine, Su Ma La Gu came to find Li Tiao, and the Imperial Concubine's decree was indeed related to Li Tiao.
"Granny? Li Tiao doesn't quite understand what you mean. What does it have to do with Li Tiao that the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine invited the princesses and young ladies from the noble families of the capital to the palace to watch the ice skating?"
It's no wonder Li Tiao found it strange. According to Su Mala Gu, it had just snowed, and the lake in the Imperial Garden had frozen over. In order to amuse the Empress Dowager, the Consort suggested that the young ladies and princesses of the imperial family and noble families in the capital come to watch the ice skating.
But Li Tiao is neither interested in either.
Moreover, she was the one who was divorced. She herself may not feel embarrassed about being divorced, but others might think she's unlucky.
"That's what the Imperial Concubine's decree says. This old servant thinks you should go, otherwise it would be very boring for you to be here with me, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers every day."
You're still young, it's good that you're more lively.
Su Ma La Gu advised Li Tiao: "Besides, this is the decree of the Imperial Concubine. Although she is not the Empress, the Emperor does not have an Empress at the moment. The Imperial Concubine is in charge of the six palaces, so her decree is considered an imperial edict. If you do not go, it will be considered as disobeying the imperial edict."
In short, you absolutely have to go.
Li Tiao wasn't opposed to it, so she suggested, "Let's go! Ice skating, as the name suggests, is skating. Li Tiao not only likes it, but she can do it too. She was just looking for something fun to do, so let's go and have some fun!"
I never expected to run into the Fourth Prince. Not only did I run into him, but he also brought his new concubine, a princess, into the palace with me!
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