Li Chang'an guessed correctly. The moment she stepped into the imperial city, Feng Beichuan had already set his sights on her. Their chance encounter was not a coincidence, but rather someone's deliberate act, with the aim of getting closer to her.
However, based on her past behavior, that person didn't succeed.
Seeing that everyone had left, Feng Beichuan felt bored and turned to leave as well.
"Your Highness."
A soft, gentle voice suddenly came from behind, like a breeze in early spring, sending a shiver down one's spine.
Feng Beichuan paused, offering only a side profile to the person behind him, his expression as calm as still water, suggesting he had little patience to listen to what the other person had to say.
Bai Ruohan bit her bloodless lips, trying her best to suppress the trembling in her heart, and said in the most pleasant voice and the most comfortable tone: "What happened today was due to my daughter's poor discipline. Please forgive me, Your Highness. I will definitely discipline this ignorant maid when I get back."
"casual."
Feng Beichuan tossed out those two indifferent words and stormed off, thinking to himself that he should have known better than to stop and listen to all that nonsense. He had wasted his time and it was a terrible mistake.
Bai Ruohan bowed slightly, paying homage to the departing man's back, ignoring the fact that the man hadn't even glanced at her once, her heart filled with piety.
As dusk fell, Li Chang'an rode his horse toward the palace. When he was almost at a corner of the city wall, he saw what looked like a person squatting in the middle of the road ahead.
In such darkness, if the carriages and horses travel too fast, they might not even see the people in front of them before trampling over them, and those people would most likely die.
Li Chang'an pulled on the reins, looked closely, and walked closer to find a beggar squatting in the middle of the road. He was dressed in rags, his hair was unkempt, and he was holding a bamboo pole and a broken bowl.
The beggar was squatting on the ground, chewing something incessantly. The way he wolfed it down made it seem like he was eating some incredibly delicious food. Li Chang'an looked at the ground and saw some dry food that someone had thrown away. It had been crushed and was scattered here and there. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't look like something a human could eat.
But the beggar didn't want to let even the smallest crumb go to waste. He picked up the bits of dry food, gently blew off the dust, and stuffed them into his mouth. He was so engrossed in eating that he didn't even notice that someone was watching him.
Li Chang'an dismounted and walked to the beggar's side, gently patting his bony shoulder. The beggar was startled and turned to stare blankly at the unfamiliar woman in front of him.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'll be leaving now..."
Thinking he was blocking someone's way, the beggar quickly gathered up the remaining bits of dry food on the ground, put them in his bowl, and got up to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Li Chang'an suddenly grabbed the beggar's arm, "Here, take this. It fell on the ground, but it was still inside the bag. If you don't mind..."
"Thank you so much!"
The beggar didn't care whether the pastry was clean or not. He snatched the pastry from Li Chang'an's hand, looked around like a thief, as if afraid someone would steal it, and disappeared around the corner in the blink of an eye.
Standing up, Li Chang'an looked at the beggar's long-disappeared figure and couldn't help but chuckle helplessly. Compared to these people who even had trouble eating and sleeping, he was doing not so badly.
All beings are equal, yet all beings suffer.
With an increasingly resolute gaze, the man and his horse gradually disappeared into the dim night.
Upon entering the palace gates, Li Chang'an, without even having time to wash and tidy his appearance, headed straight for the Zhengqing Hall.
Qin Xi had heard the news early and waited outside the Zhengqing Hall until it was dark before he finally saw the woman he had been thinking about.
Her figure appeared somewhat slender in the night, yet remained upright, her strong back like a frost flower proudly blooming in the cold wind.
A lump formed in her throat, and Qin Xi quickly went to greet her, "Princess!"
Holding those warm, calloused hands, the rough texture made Li Chang'an feel incredibly at ease. It was a warmth from her family that she cherished dearly.
"I'll go first."
Without much small talk, Li Chang'an shook Qin Xi's hand firmly before stepping onto the luxurious white marble steps.
The head eunuch guarding the side hall bowed slightly upon seeing Li Chang'an and said softly, "His Majesty has been waiting. He was much more pleased to know you were back."
Li Chang'an nodded slightly, pushed open the door and entered. The hall was quiet and brightly lit, with palace lanterns swaying gently from time to time. There were not many servants inside, and they all bowed to the newcomer, but no one spoke.
"But Chang'an is back."
A man's somewhat hoarse voice echoed from the bedchamber.
Li Chang'an quickened his pace and saw his high and mighty father sitting on the gold-threaded couch beside the desk. He was still as thin as he had been that day, and the bright yellow robe he wore looked a bit too big on him. However, his complexion was not bad, unlike the gloomy one he had seen before.
"Father."
Li Chang'an bowed respectfully, feeling a mix of emotions. She wondered how long she had hesitated before finally uttering the word "Father Emperor."
Sure enough, she still harbored resentment in her heart.
"Come and sit down. There's no need for so many formalities between us, father and daughter."
Emperor Xingchang smiled, his eyes crinkling, looking every bit the loving father.
Seeing the man's fine frown at the corner of his eye, Li Chang'an's eyes flickered, unable to fathom how much sincerity was in his words.
"My son, you've had a long and tiring journey. But for some reason, your father often thinks of you when you were little, and I miss you. Perhaps I'm getting old..."
As Emperor Xingchang spoke, his gaze towards the palace lantern above gradually deepened, revealing a dark and ambiguous emotion that seemed somewhat sorrowful. Many years ago, the relationship between father and daughter was excellent and pure.
Li Chang'an smiled but remained silent. Ever since learning about those past events, she had become somewhat distant from Emperor Xingchang and had fewer things to say to him.
The information Feng Beichuan gathered was like a thorn stuck in his heart; although it didn't cause much damage, it still made him feel uncomfortable.
What are your plans upon returning?
Emperor Xingchang remained amiable, but Li Chang'an saw a different expression in his still sharp eyes.
A sudden chill ran through him, but he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, "Your subject also feels an unbearable longing and wishes to spend more time with Father. I have been unable to properly fulfill my filial duties during these past few years away from home, and I truly feel ashamed."
The father and daughter each had their own thoughts, and after putting on a show for a while, Li Chang'an left Zhengqing Hall under the pretext that Emperor Xingchang should rest and recuperate.
As she stepped down the last step and her feet landed firmly on the solid blue brick ground, Li Chang'an finally felt a little more at ease. A night breeze brushed against her slightly tired face, and she took a deep breath, feeling much better.
Seemingly tired from acting, Emperor Xingchang relaxed considerably after Li Chang'an left. He leaned lazily against the gold-threaded soft pillow behind him, his eyes slightly closed, his fingers tapping the tea table beside him.
Once something goes bad, it can't be kept.
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