Chapter 59: Imprisonment (1) [VIP]
"You..." Seeing the delicate and pitiful girl in his arms, Chu Yanshuo froze for a moment, smiled coldly, and then let go. "Then I will wait. You can't escape."
She did not dare to say much along the way, and let the Ninth Prince hold her in his arms. Soon she closed her eyes and rested, hoping to return to Lingning Palace as soon as possible.
The deep palace was filled with flourishing flowers and surrounded by red walls. Walking along the winding palace road, one arrived in front of a magnificent palace, and the bells on the wheels stopped ringing.
She looked up and saw a mahogany plaque inlaid with gold with the name of the palace engraved on it. After staring at it for a moment, she followed the steps into a garden.
Chu Yanshuo waved his sleeves and ordered without hesitation: "Come here, lock the beauty in the side room. Without my permission, don't let her leave the room."
"Yes." The attendants around her knelt down and then took her into an ear room.
The last time I came here, I came with my husband to offer advice to the Ninth Prince. I never expected that now a concubine would be involved...
Will there be any hope if he takes such a risk? Chu Qingluo saw the door slowly closing, and wanted to think about it alone for a while.
The Ninth Prince was still standing in the garden. She stretched out her finger to close the window, and suddenly saw an attendant walking towards the main hall.
Standing beside His Highness, the attendant reported solemnly, "Your Highness, Mr. Qu requests an audience."
"Mr. Qu seems pure and unselfish, but I never thought he was so infatuated..." Chu Yanshuo casually looked at the beautiful figure beside the windowsill, his eyebrows slightly curved, and he turned around meaningfully, "Let's go and meet him."
This imperial decree is a perfect opportunity to end all ties with Master. Chu Qingluo was slightly startled when she heard this. The outcome was already a foregone conclusion, so why did Master still chase her all the way to Lingning Palace...
This is His Majesty's will and he cannot change it.
She closed the window abruptly, as if to shut out all her troubled thoughts. She needed to calmly think about how to take the life of the owner of this palace.
The Lingning Palace was extremely quiet. In the palace stood a figure as white as the moon and as clear as the breeze. He stood upright with his hands hanging down and bowed deeply to the Ninth Prince who entered the palace.
After completing the formalities, Qu Hanjin raised his eyes solemnly, his expression showing a hint of dissatisfaction: "Your Highness, how could you take my student away without informing me?"
A hint of amusement appeared on his face. Chu Yanshuo sat leisurely, sipping his tea with a half-smile, but he had no intention of asking the master to give him a seat: "If I don't go, she will be imprisoned and executed by Princess Mu Xiao... Master, you should think that it was me who arrived in time and saved her life."
"This beauty will be mine from now on. Sir, if you have any improper thoughts, how dare you covet the concubine of Ling Ning Palace..." Having said this, His Highness paused and leisurely put down the cup.
"But don't blame me...for punishing you, sir."
His originally cold and stern face was now gloomy. Qu Hanjin was silent for a long time, and finally said solemnly: "She is my student. I should take care of her safety."
"I'm a little curious. Can you take care of it, sir?" Chu Yanshuo laughed lightly when he heard the voice, but he didn't dare to laugh loudly because he thought his father had some respect for him.
"How can I protect a mere palace music master..."
These words were exactly the same as what she had said. He was stunned and didn't know how to respond.
Yes, in this palace full of intrigues and deceptions, he couldn't protect her, couldn't protect her...
Qu Hanjin's tone of voice slowed down imperceptibly, and his words were steady, with a hint of pleading: "I have helped Your Highness to establish his kingdom. Please... return her to me."
"Return? May I ask how you return them?" Yu's laughter widened. The Ninth Prince, intrigued, feigned kindness and pointed out a clear path for him. "This is the Imperial Decree. If you want the person, ask His Majesty for it."
"Your Highness may go and ask His Majesty to retract the decree."
This request was indeed unreasonable. His Highness was determined to have her, so how could he agree to his request... There was a glimmer in his eyes, and Qu Hanjin looked straight at the person in front of him, and the thought of begging disappeared in an instant.
"What if I refuse?" Chu Yanshuo looked at the graceful figure as white as snow and moon, and laughed, "What ability does Mr. Qu have to ask me to do something..."
As if recalling the dilapidated and deserted East Palace today, the Ninth Prince laughed contemptuously, and the laughter lingered on the beams of the palace, making people feel a chill.
"Sir, if you reveal this to the public, you'll be dead. Hahahahahaha..."
The sarcastic laughter became increasingly rampant, like a twilight shrouding his heart, lingering endlessly. He listened silently, but remained expressionless for a long time.
"Your Highness, by falsely conveying the imperial edict to withdraw the guards from the Eastern Palace, you have already tied me to the same boat." If he were to threaten him with the assassination of the Crown Prince, he would have no fear and had thought it through thoroughly. Qu Hanjin solemnly added, "The Crown Prince died in public. Neither I nor Your Highness can escape."
"Although I cannot escape the death penalty, there was no one guarding the Eastern Palace that day. Who else in the entire imperial palace would dare to do such a thing except Your Highness?" He replied calmly, and every word he said was full of intimidation and coercion.
Unexpectedly, the Ninth Prince didn't care. He casually picked up the purple clay teapot and lightly poured the tea out: "Sir, you worry too much. I found a scapegoat to take this sin for me..."
"Oh, I remember." Speaking of the scapegoat, Chu Yanshuo became even more joking, and then teased.
"That person is still your student..."
People in the palace, the Music Bureau...
After pondering for a few moments, Qu Hanjin's heart suddenly trembled, and he realized with shock that the person His Highness was looking for to die in his place was actually that...
It was Sheng Youzhang who had passed the imperial examination some time ago.
He was surprised. How could that man, who had nothing to do with the incident at the Eastern Palace, be sentenced to death? Isn't that absurd?
The Ninth Prince seemed accustomed to this, speaking of scapegoating as if it were commonplace. He casually replied, "It's just his bad luck. He happened to enter the palace that day. I couldn't find anyone suitable, so I had to look for him."
"Why, sir, the moon-like figure has not moved away, Chu Yanshuo clicked his tongue twice,
, but there are really too many..."
He was not a saint, and was being targeted by His Majesty the Ninth Prince, so he could only ignore it.
He was already too busy to take care of himself, and all he cared about was that bright beauty. Only when she was safe could he find peace of mind.
"I only want the person taken away by Your Highness." Qu Hanjin replied solemnly, his answer revealing his usual coldness.
He was so earnest, a completely different Mr. Qu from the one he had met in the past. The Ninth Prince half-closed his eyes in thought for a moment, then clapped his hands in sudden realization: "Mr. Qu, you are so concerned about Miss Chu. Could it be that you have done something inappropriate with me, and you're hiding it from others?"
His eyes were still trembling, avoiding the question, and he opened his mouth to ask again: "What will it take for Your Highness to let her go?"
"Sir, leave your life behind, and I'll let her go." Chu Yanshuo, becoming more and more interested, stood up freely, pulled out a sword from the servant's hand, and threw it in front of him. "Sir, do you need to reconsider?"
The long sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and the sword tip emitted a cold light, as if it wanted to devour him completely.
Qu Hanjin picked up the sword lightly, his face calm, staring at the sharp blade without saying a word for a long time.
"Wait, if the master really wants to commit suicide, I have to let the beauty come and watch. It's so interesting just thinking about it..." The Ninth Prince waved his sleeves and signaled the servants on both sides to go to the back garden to get someone, "Go quickly, bring the beauty here!"
But the next moment, the man holding the sword raised his voice to stop him.
He walked steadily to the attendant, sheathed his sword, and seemed to have calmed his mind, so he stopped disturbing him. "No need, Your Highness, I am sorry to bother you. I will leave the palace now."
Instead of wasting time here, it is better to think of a good plan.
He looked up at the blue sky and the floating clouds as soft as cotton and snow, and undercurrents flowed through his cold eyes.
Before he could recover from the shock, he saw Mr. Qu walking away in a distant and cold manner, his back disappearing outside the palace gate. Although Chu Yanshuo didn't know what he meant, he felt very happy, and every corner of his heart was excited.
"Hahahahahaha... How dare you compete with me for this beauty?"
Laughing loudly and slamming the table, the Ninth Prince was particularly disdainful, his eyes full of arrogance: "No one in this world has ever been able to snatch someone from me..."
"This Mr. Qu, who is respected even by my father, doesn't seem to have much ability!" Chu Yanshuo turned his eyes to the attendants on both sides and asked arrogantly, "What do you think, is it true or not?"
A maid stepped forward with a faint smile, holding a jade pot, intending to replace the tea for His Highness the Ninth Prince. "Your Highness is a powerful figure, and now that the Crown Prince has passed away, your throne is imminent. Your Highness need not take a mere Grand Music Master seriously."
But before she could touch the pot, she stumbled and fell due to the force. The maid came to her senses shyly and realized that she had been embraced by His Highness.
The Ninth Prince smiled softly, kissed the maid's neck and shoulders, and said vaguely to the other followers: "You must serve the beauty I brought back today well. If I find out that you are not serving her well, I will punish you."
"Yes." The servants in the main hall retreated one after another. They all knew what His Highness wanted to do, and did not forget to close the hall door tightly before leaving.
The side room in the corner of the east courtyard of Lingning Palace was quite quiet. Miss Chu, who was just brought back by the prince, did not make any noise. She dismissed the serving palace maids and stayed in the room alone, which was really strange.
There were two or three maids in the yard who were worried about her. When they pushed the door open, they saw her sitting comfortably by the window, stroking her forehead, as if she was sleepy.
After glancing sideways for a moment, Chu Qingluo retracted her gaze and whispered to the palace maid, "I'm a little tired today and want to rest early. You all should leave."
His Highness has already ordered that she be served well. Since the young lady is already tired, she should not be disturbed any further. Seeing this, the maidservant withdrew, wanting her to have a peaceful sleep.
The palace maids in the garden would not enter the house to disturb her before tomorrow morning. She was silent for a moment, turned off the lights in the room, and after a while, she cautiously opened the window.
A hint of darkness flashed in from outside the window. She closed the window and drew the curtain as if nothing had happened. Although it was daytime, the room was dim and dark.
Just now she was sitting by the window admiring the view when she heard a stone hit the windowsill and knew Feng Yan was hiding nearby.
With this person's skills, it is not difficult to enter and exit the palace, but there are many secret guards in Lingning Palace, so one still needs to be careful.
"I will rescue the princess." The man in black looked at the gentle woman in front of him and spoke in a low voice.
Putting aside the question of whether she could escape, with such a good opportunity before her, why would she want to escape...
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