Chapter 95: Domineering White Moonlight 14 How could he still feel at ease...
Five days before Xie Jingchuan's birthday, news came from Shou'an Palace that the empress dowager, who had been in a coma, had woken up.
Ali was the first to rush to Shou'an Palace and saw the empress dowager leaning against the bed, and Aunt Wenying was helping her drink medicine.
"A-Li pays respect to the Empress Dowager."
She knelt down in the hall and bowed respectfully.
"Get up quickly. It's a relief that you come here so soon." The Queen Mother's voice was not as strong as before, but her attitude was much gentler. She beckoned Ali to sit beside her bed.
Su Yue brought over an embroidered cushion. Ali thanked her and sat down, then asked the Empress Dowager about her health. "How are you feeling, Empress Dowager?"
The Queen Mother still looked weak. "The Imperial Physician has examined her. It's nothing serious. It's just that drinking these bitter medicines every day is making me miserable."
Ah Li smiled faintly, "The Empress Dowager is blessed with great fortune, and is able to turn hardship into happiness. When Ah Li came here today, she passed by the Imperial Garden and saw a magpie perched on a branch. This is a good omen for the return of spring."
The Queen Mother pointed at her and smiled, "You're the best girl at pleasing others! I heard from Su Yue that during the days I was ill, you came every day before dawn to serve me medicine and stayed by my side every step of the way. Thank you for your hard work."
"A-li has been in the palace for more than ten years, thanks to the care of the Empress Dowager. Without the Empress Dowager, there would be no Ali today. Ali is extremely grateful and does not feel any hardship." Ali replied.
Hearing this, the Queen Mother looked at her and nodded with satisfaction: "You have grown up and become sensible."
The Queen Mother waved her hand and said, "Come sit next to me."
Ali stepped forward as instructed, and Wen Ying and Su Yue, who were serving in the hall, quietly retreated, leaving only the two of them.
The incense in the hall was lingering, and the Queen Mother didn't intend to beat around the bush with her: "Look up, I have a question for you."
Ali looked up: "Excuse me, Queen Mother."
"You and Jingchuan grew up together. Everyone in the palace knows how good he is to you. I want to know what you think?" The Queen Mother spoke slowly, her slightly cloudy eyes now blazing.
Ali was stunned for a moment, knowing that he couldn't get away with this question, so he said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is very kind to Ali. Ali is very grateful in his heart and only hopes to repay him in the future."
The Queen Mother narrowed her eyes, clearly dissatisfied with her answer: "What I'm asking is, do you feel the same way about Jingchuan as he does about you?"
The hall was silent for a moment.
Under the Empress Dowager's pressure, A-Li stood up, knelt before the couch, and kowtowed three times: "A-Li is not a plant, and I admire and love His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in my heart. However, A-Li knows that my status is low, and I dare not have any improper thoughts. I hope the Empress Dowager will understand."
There was no voice from the Queen Mother for a long time. Ali's back was stiff and he dared not move.
After staring at A-li for a long time, the Queen Mother stroked the jade ruyi on her knees and said, "It's time to think about it."
Ali's breath was caught, and he still looked trembling with fear.
The Queen Mother lowered her eyes to look at her and said, "Get up. Don't kneel down all the time. If Jingchuan sees you, he will blame me."
A Li was even more nervous: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the Empress Dowager's biological grandson, how could he blame the Empress Dowager?"
The Queen Mother gave a very short laugh, the meaning of which was unclear: "Alright, I was just saying it casually. Get up."
"I have watched you two children grow up. If you are truly interested, I will be happy to see it happen and will make the decision for you."
As soon as A-li sat down, he felt a little strange about what the Queen Mother said, so he deliberately said, "It's just that A-li's status is low, and the Royal Concubine doesn't like A-li very much. I'm afraid that I will let down the Queen Mother's kindness."
As expected, the Queen Mother snorted coldly: "Although I haven't been in charge of affairs for many years, this palace is not necessarily her world. Moreover, she is only a concubine, not the queen after all."
As if a serious illness had triggered memories of the past, a different look appeared on the Queen Mother's face. She suddenly said to Ali, "Do you know that Yu'er didn't have to go out of the border to marry back then?"
Ali was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that Yu'er was Princess Rongqing's nickname.
"...It was all instigated by that woman beside the emperor. There were so many noble ladies from the royal family to choose from, but he just sent my Yu'er away!" He said this almost with gritted teeth.
Ali listened quietly, knowing that the Queen Mother did not need a response at the moment, but was just venting.
Tears welled up in the Queen Mother's eyes. "That year, Yu'er was only sixteen years old. She cried and begged her brother and mother... It was my incompetence as a mother that failed to protect her..."
Since Yu'er's marriage, the Empress Dowager rarely left Shou'an Palace, and her relationship with the Emperor as mother and son reached a freezing point.
After all, the person she blamed the most was her own son.
She hated his hard-heartedness, so after ascending the throne, he cut off all her contacts with court officials outside the palace and was eager to take back the power in her hands.
Secondly, she hated him for favoring the imperial concubine and disobeying his mother's orders, which caused the original wife she personally chose to die in depression.
The third thing he hated was that he was a very qualified emperor, but he could even abandon his own sister.
Perhaps this was because the emperor had not been raised by her side since he was a child, but the emperor was still her own son. It was not until Yu'er's incident that she was completely heartbroken.
The Queen Mother looked up at the beautiful Ali in front of her, and couldn't help but feel a strange expectation. If this girl had that ability, she could help her.
If this really happened, the emperor and the imperial concubine would probably be able to understand how she felt when she saw Yu'er leaving the capital.
As he was speaking, the shrill cries of palace servants were heard outside the hall. The emperor came with the imperial concubine and the prince to pay his respects.
Ali bowed and retreated. When she passed by Xie Jingchuan, she deliberately pulled his sleeve, but he did not look at her and walked into the hall without turning back, as if she was just a stranger.
Ali stopped and suddenly remembered that Xie Jingchuan had not come to Yinyue Pavilion to see her for three days.
This is obviously a problem.
Ali took a few steps and suddenly there was a thunder in the sky. The sky darkened. She looked at Ming Shuang beside her and asked, "When did you meet Shen Liu?"
Ming Shuang thought for a moment and said, "Four days ago, I told her all those words as instructed by the princess."
Ali lowered his eyes and murmured, "Then he probably knows too."
"Who is the princess talking about?" Mingshuang was curious.
A Li shook his head: "It's okay, let's go back to the palace."
Ming Shuang glanced back and asked, "Isn't the princess still waiting for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
"No need to wait, let's go back to the palace."
*
On Xie Jingchuan's birthday, bells and drums rang in the palace, and solemn and magnificent ceremonial music resounded through the sky.
The palace servants, wearing uniformly made new clothes, walked hurriedly, holding either exquisite snacks freshly baked from the imperial kitchen or carrying golden plates and jade pots, as they shuttled between the corridors of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
All the noble ministers and their families had entered the palace early in the morning. Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, in the Imperial Garden, and beside the Taiye Lake, people coming to celebrate could be seen everywhere.
Night crept up the sky, the auspicious time had arrived, and the entire palace was brightly lit.
Hundreds of rosewood desks were placed on both sides, and everyone was looking towards the door of the hall, eagerly waiting.
Finally, with the ceremonial officer's high-pitched and sharp chants, the hall that was originally filled with the low voices of officials talking suddenly became dead silent.
In an instant, everyone in the hall, whether they were princes, nobles or important officials of the court, knelt down like a tide, bowed their heads deeply, and shouted: "Welcome Your Majesty! Welcome Your Majesty! Welcome Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
The emperor was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe. Although he did not deliberately show his majesty, the aura of his long-standing supreme position had spread like a tangible entity, making people dare not look directly at him.
Because today is the prince's birthday, there is a rare trace of tolerance on his face, but when his eagle-like eyes swept over the kneeling ministers, they still carried the usual indifference that examined everything.
Concubine Xiao lagged behind the emperor by half a step, and the protagonist of tonight's banquet, the crown prince, supported her steadily despite her unsteady steps.
The imperial concubine was dressed in an elaborate and gorgeous palace dress, surrounded by pearls and jades. Her face was almost transparently pale under her exquisite makeup.
Despite this, this hint of illness did not obscure her beauty, but instead added a touch of pitiful charm.
The prince supported her with a calm expression, slightly leaning to the side, focusing most of his attention on the imperial concubine, ensuring that she took every step steadily.
Although the Queen Mother has regained consciousness, she is still weak and therefore did not show up tonight.
In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the emperor walked steadily towards the dragon-dragon throne at the highest point of the hall. The prince still carefully supported the imperial concubine and followed behind the emperor.
The hall was completely silent. The emperor turned around in front of the throne and flicked his sleeves slightly.
The eunuch in charge of ceremonies immediately understood and shouted, "Stand up!"
The people kneeling below then stood up in order, standing respectfully with their hands hanging down.
The emperor did not sit down immediately, but looked at the imperial concubine beside him. When the prince helped her sit on the phoenix throne slightly to the side and below, a genuine smile appeared on his face and he sat firmly on the throne.
The prince stood up, retreated to the foot of the imperial steps, lifted his robe and sat down in front of his seat.
Everyone took their seats one by one, and the only sound in the empty and silent hall was the rustling of clothes.
The palace official stepped forward, unfolded the gift list in his hand, and in his unique shrill voice, he read out the gifts presented by all the officials one by one.
Ali's seat was some distance away from Xie Jingchuan. She was playing with the wine glass in her hand boredly, secretly glancing at him.
Xie Jingchuan was seen wearing the dark black robes of the crown prince, a seven-tasseled crown adorned with oriental pearls, and a jade belt around his waist, looking regal and imposing.
Normally, one could still glimpse a few fluctuations in her eyes and brows, but now they were shrouded in the shadow and majesty of the official, leaving only an inhuman dignity and indifference.
He stood in front of the table, nodded slightly, and accepted the worship and prayers of all officials. His voice was steady and powerful, and every movement was in accordance with etiquette and impeccable.
The crown tassel swayed gently, casting subtle shadows on Xie Jingchuan's face, making it impossible to see the true emotions in his eyes.
Ali turned around and poked the fruits and vegetables in front of him in a depressed manner.
The long list of tributes finally drew to a close. The palace attendant paused and sang in a louder voice than before:
"Play music! Let the feast begin!"
At a command, the music that had been prepared for a long time began to play, and the bells, drums, flutes and pipes rang out, instantly filling every corner of the hall.
Then, the dancers came into the stage, dancing with their long sleeves and graceful postures.
The atmosphere in the hall became relaxed, and the officials were toasting each other and chatting in low voices.
Lan Xin and Ming Shuang behind Ali were also watching the singing and dancing with great interest, chatting and laughing with Ali from time to time.
She looked over without interest, but saw a unique woman among the dancers' figures as soft and slender as willow branches.
She was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old, sitting among a group of wives of dukes and marquises. Her social status was obviously not low, but her dress was completely different from that of the ladies around her.
She was not wearing a fashionable flowing long skirt or palace dress, but a lake blue brocade riding and shooting suit. The cuffs were tightened with silver thread twine patterns, which made her look neat and slim. It was vaguely visible that she was wearing a pair of small deerskin soft boots, not the ordinary embroidered and beaded shoes.
The woman's hairstyle was also extremely simple, just a single spiral bun, with a simple jade hairpin in it. Apart from that, she had no other jewelry.
She rested one hand on the table, supporting her chin, and with the other hand, she tapped the table unconsciously with her fingertips, as if she was extremely bored by this lengthy ceremony and the soft greetings around her.
The woman looked around boldly, her eyes clear and bright, with a vibrant beauty, which happened to meet Ali's curious gaze.
Ali guessed that this eccentric person was probably the heroine Fu Youzhi.
She gave Fu Youzhi a friendly smile and then looked away.
Xie Jingchuan was no longer sitting in his seat.
Ali said something to Lan Xin and Ming Shuang, and sneaked out while no one else at the table was paying attention.
Outside the palace, the night was as cool as water.
Unlike the hot and noisy atmosphere inside the palace, the spring night breeze still carries some coolness, blowing the gorgeous palace lanterns and casting swaying light and shadows on the shiny floor tiles.
Ali looked around anxiously, holding up her light red skirt as she walked around three or four corridors, and finally saw the familiar figure beside the white marble railing not far away.
He dismissed all the attendants, stood by the railing with his back to the hall.
He was surrounded by magnificent palaces and buildings, and in the distance he could faintly hear the laughter of a banquet, but all this prosperity seemed to be separated from him by an invisible barrier, or perhaps he had taken the initiative to push it all away.
Ali stopped and called out softly, "Xie Jingchuan."
This soft call was like a stone thrown into a silent lake, instantly breaking the cold barrier around him.
Xie Jingchuan's back stiffened noticeably, and after a moment's silence, he turned around.
"Why did you come out? It's so windy outside, and Lan Xin didn't even remember to get you a cloak."
The tone and concern were the same as always, but Ali noticed a flash of complexity and evasion in his eyes.
She took a step forward, not giving him a chance to escape: "What happened to you recently?"
Xie Jingchuan's eyes were hidden in the dim light. "I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to come see you. I'm sorry."
Ali looked at his downcast eyes and asked, "Then why don't you dare look at me?"
Xie Jingchuan's Adam's apple rolled, but his voice was a little dry and tight.
After knowing those things, how could he face her with peace of mind?
The fire in Qingluan Palace made Xie Jingchuan extremely nervous. Fearing that another accident would happen, he secretly sent secret guards to protect Ali around Yinyue Pavilion.
A few days ago, the secret guards reported that a palace maid from the inner court often peeked outside the Yinyue Pavilion, doing something sneaky and unknown what she was doing.
At Xie Jingchuan's suggestion, the palace maid was taken to the East Palace.
According to the palace servant, her name was Chen Liu, and she was from the same village as the princess. Her mother was even the midwife who delivered the princess.
Seeing the fire in Qingluan Palace, Chen Liu thought that someone was deliberately murdering him and wanted to remind the princess to be careful.
But she didn't often go to Qingluan Palace, so she didn't know how to meet the princess.
And the murderer behind the scenes that Shen Liu believed was Concubine Xiao.
Xie Jingchuan felt it was ridiculous when he heard this, but Chen Liu was already frightened out of his wits and poured out everything that had happened that year.
That year, Concubine Xiao and the Crown Prince were chased by bandits on their way back to Beijing from the Summer Resort.
The bandits were obviously well prepared and killed all the imperial guards and attendants around them.
The imperial concubine and her son fled all the way under the escort of their confidants, and in a panic they fled into the small fishing village where Ali's parents lived.
That day happened to be the day when Ali Niang gave birth. Seeing a group of bandits appearing in front of the village and hunting down women and children, Ali's father took up a harpoon without saying a word and fought with the villagers, and hid the imperial concubine and her child in his own home.
But how can ordinary villagers resist the vicious bandits?
Despite a long delay, Alidie still fell under the sword.
The gang of bandits began searching the village for the hiding place of the imperial concubine and her son.
In this small house on the east side of the village, there were the imperial concubine and her child, Ali Niang who had just given birth, and two midwives, all of whom were weak and helpless.
Several people were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they dared not utter a sound.
But what's worse is that the neighbor brought back the news that Ali's father had died. Ali's mother collapsed and lost control of her emotions. She only wanted to open the door and look for her husband.
The two midwives immediately grabbed her and covered her mouth with all their might.
Everyone was pulling at the door. The imperial concubine hid the prince in the wardrobe. She came behind the three people at some point, opened the door and pushed Ali's mother out. Then she immediately closed the bolt and left Ali's mother alone outside. Not long after, she met bandits and was hacked to death.
It happened that during this short period of delay, sufficient support from the imperial guards arrived and rescued the imperial concubine and her son back to the palace.
And if the prince had not come out of the closet and found Ali unattended in bed, crying very faintly, and begged the imperial concubine to take her away with her, none of the subsequent events would have happened.
Xie Jingchuan naturally wouldn't believe all of this.
He quickly sent people to the small fishing village to investigate the truth, but the truth was exactly the same as what Shen Liu said.
At that moment, Xie Jingchuan felt dizzy.
His mother was the direct cause of Ali becoming an orphan since birth, but he has enjoyed the warmth and companionship she brought him for so many years. This so-called love was built on her blood and tears.
All his "giving" became ridiculous compensation and insult at this moment, and he even hoped that she could stay with him forever, how shameless.
Ali noticed that he was in a bad mood, and an almost reckless impulse occupied her mind.
She suddenly took a step forward, completely disregarding any etiquette, and took the initiative to hold his cold hand.
Xie Jingchuan shuddered, and finally looked up at her: "A-Li?"
"Stop talking and follow me!" Ali grabbed him without saying anything, and the two of them ran along the white marble palace road that was washed clean by the moonlight.
"You..." Xie Jingchuan had never expected her to do this, nor could he guess what she wanted to do. However, the worry and determination in her eyes made him unable to resist, and he followed her willingly.
On this long and silent palace road, Ali's skirt flew up as she ran, like a flower suddenly blooming in the night. The tassels on her hair were shaking violently, making a clear and crisp sound, which mixed with the slightly messy footsteps of the two people, breaking the inherent solemnity and silence of this imperial city.
The night wind blew towards him, miraculously blowing away the haze lingering in Xie Jingchuan's heart.
The towering vermilion palace walls and the high eaves of the palace on both sides quickly receded from sight, and it seemed as if there were only the two of them left between heaven and earth.
He no longer asked where she was going, nor did he dwell on the secrets and sins that weighed him down.
At this moment, he just followed her, chasing the seemingly endless moonlight in front of him, listening to the whistling wind in his ears and her slight breathing.
On this long, seemingly endless palace road, all worries, identities, and responsibilities seem to be left behind.
At this moment, he was not the prince, she was not the princess, and there was no coincidence between them.
At the end of the palace road, Ali was finally exhausted. He slowly stopped and leaned against the wall to breathe slightly.
Xie Jingchuan wanted to go forward and help her calm down, but Ali pointed behind him.
He turned around and saw two people standing in front of a long-abandoned palace.
Xie Jingchuan's gaze slowly moved upwards and landed on the dusty and worn plaque right above the palace gate, which still vaguely showed its former grandeur.
Kunning Palace.
Xie Jingchuan widened his eyes slightly.
This is... the palace of the late queen.
Although he had never seen this stepmother, he knew that the late queen gave birth on the same day as his mother, but because of the shock, she gave birth to a stillborn baby. She was weak after giving birth and died of depression soon after.
Since the early death of the late queen, this palace, a symbol of honor, has been completely closed by my father. It has become a taboo in the palace, a corner deliberately forgotten by everyone.
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