Chapter 107 (8,000 words) Qixi Festival Limited Edition...
The sun was scorching, the cicadas were chirping loudly, and many strange things happened one after another in the summer palace, which caused the court officials to talk about it.
"First, a mad cat is recklessly injuring people, and then a fire causes the eldest princess to lose her child and go mad. Is there some evil spirit hiding here?"
"It's still some time before the Ghost Festival, so the evil spirit shouldn't appear so early. It's said that this incident is closely related to the Second Princess, who is currently under house arrest in the palace by the Empress."
"I don't think it's that weird. The eldest princess's younger brother, the second prince, also went berserk and attacked the late emperor. I'm afraid he has some hidden illness."
After this was said, the officials also felt that the royal bloodline might have some shameful illness.
The current empress had not appeared in public for many years, and now she has no children, which makes people suspicious.
The wind blew, the branches and leaves swayed, and most officials chose to wait and see, not wanting to act rashly.
The battle for the succession to the throne, which was caused by the late emperor's failure to appoint a crown prince, resulted in so many casualties that they are still vivid in our minds. Even important officials like Zhou Shengtai dare not speculate about it.
Inside the pavilion, Shangguan Sheng drank tea solemnly to cool off from the heat, and did not participate in the criticism of the court officials.
When a team of soldiers appeared from a distance, the cold sound of armor clashing could be heard. The leader was Princess Tai'an. All the officials fell silent and said no more.
Because the summer palace was close to the mountains, a natural hunting ground, Princess Tai'an often led her personal soldiers to hunt and train.
Compared with the other four princesses, Princess Tai'an is particularly strong in martial virtues, as evidenced by her recent victory in the polo match.
Moreover, Princess Tai'an has an army of women at her disposal, which gives her a clear advantage over other princesses.
Shangguan Sheng and other officials bowed and respectfully escorted Princess Tai'an through the corridor. Considering the feuds between the princesses now, Princess Tai'an was able to stay out of it completely, which showed her formidable strength.
However, if someone in the royal family had a strange disease, the outbreak would be too bizarre and really strange.
Outside the pavilion, the sky was clear and cloudless. The chubby red carp kite was flying high, bright and eye-catching, attracting a lot of attention.
At this moment, in the East Garden of the Summer Palace, the corridors are winding and the air is quiet and peaceful. Yin Xing is running and flying a kite, her peach-pink clothes fluttering in the wind, her figure is light and full of vigor.
Xuan Yizhen watched Yin Xing running like a flying bird from afar, his eyes softened as he asked nonchalantly, "How's the eldest princess doing?"
The court lady Chun Li paused as she offered the sweet soup and fruits and said respectfully, "The eldest princess is still behaving abnormally, violently and suspiciously."
"Then have Liu Ci increase the dosage for the princess and see how it works." Xuan Yizhen looked at Yin Xing, who was waving at him and smiling brightly. His expression was particularly sweet and innocent, but his words were icy cold. "After the Ghost Festival, all the flowers will wither and become worthless. I don't have that much time."
"As you command." The female official responded sternly.
As soon as he finished speaking, brisk footsteps approached, and Yin Xing came in from outside holding a fat carp kite in his hand. The female official tactfully withdrew.
"Yizhen, the kite I flew just now was very high, did you see it?" Yin Xing's cheeks were a little red from running, and she could not hide her happiness.
It was my first time learning to make a kite with Xuan Yizheng, and I didn’t expect it to be quite successful!
"Yes, I saw it." Xuan Yizheng took out an embroidered handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Yin Xing's forehead. His expression was gentle, completely different from his previous indifferent and distant look.
Yin Xing sniffed the cool fragrance of Xuan Yizhen's body with the tip of his nose, and placed his cheek against her warm palm to cool down. He smiled and said, "I think the little girl would like flying kites too. This newly made fat carp kite can be given to her to play with."
Xuan Yizhen looked into Yin Xing's beautiful eyes and replied as if he didn't care: "If you want to give it to me, then give it to me. It's just that there have been ghosts in the summer palace recently. Aren't you scared?"
"Don't worry, it's broad daylight."
"Okay, then it's not too late for you to go after taking a rest."
After he finished speaking, Xuan Yizheng pinched Yin Xing's earlobe with his cold fingertips, then moved away and sat aside to read a book.
Yin Xing drank a big gulp of cool and sweet soup, feeling the lake breeze, and felt a lot cooler. His eyes fell on Xuan Yizheng's jade-white and beautiful face, which he inexplicably felt was a little too quiet, like a porcelain white jade statue.
The wind blew, and the golden hairband among Xuan Yizheng's thick black hair fluttered. The water outside the lake reflected the bright light around her body, making her look particularly holy. The bright wind and clear moon were no different from this scene.
Yin Xing came back to his senses and called out, "Yizhen."
Xuan Yizhen didn't raise her eyes. She lowered her slender neck, her gaze still fixed on the scroll. She was elegant and beautiful, and she said slowly and calmly, "What's the matter?"
"Are you unhappy?"
"No."
Yin Xing looked closely at the sparse dark shadows cast between Xuan Yizheng's long eyelashes. His eyes were as quiet and peaceful as a lake. He didn't find any clues and began to doubt his own guess.
Xuan Yizhen tilted his head slightly to meet Yin Xing's clear, round eyes. He looked slightly startled and asked hesitantly, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, I just thought Yizhen was unhappy because I gave the little girl a kite."
"Do I look so fussy?"
Yin Xing blinked and shook his head repeatedly, feeling vaguely in danger. He did not respond, but kissed the thin lips in front of him, smiled obediently, and did not dare to say anything.
Xuan Yizhen's eyes were quiet and deep, but he didn't speak directly. He pursed his lips and said calmly, "I have something to meet with someone today."
It’s just a child, Xuan Yizhen doesn’t think Yin Xing would be too partial to him.
It's just that I feel a little unhappy.
"Meeting, who are you meeting?"
"The Princess Tai'an who wanted to dig out your eyes."
Yin Xing was silent. He didn't have a good impression of Princess Tai'an.
Seeing Yin Xing's obvious fear, Xuan Yizhen raised the corners of his lips, feeling slightly less bothered. He kneaded and played with her earlobe with his fingertips, saying calmly, "Go quickly and come back soon. Otherwise, if you encounter ghosts after dark, don't come back crying."
"I'm not that timid." Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen who was teasing him innocently. He vaguely felt that there was some subtle change in her expression, and she was no longer as quiet as before.
After a while, Yin Xing said goodbye to Xuan Yizheng, holding the red carp kite in his hand, and left Dongyuan with light steps.
The small palace where Jiang Yun and the others lived was not far from the East Garden and was considered a nearby area.
Yin Xing walked through the corridor and faintly smelled the scent of burning paper money. He hesitated and paused. He looked out and saw a few maids offering sacrifices. He asked in confusion, "Isn't the Ghost Festival still some time away?"
"This is a memorial for the little prince who died some time ago." A maid responded while busy packing.
"Then remember to pay attention to sparks. Fire prevention is important." Yin Xing didn't say much. He had heard about the fire incident involving the eldest princess.
But Yin Xing was not clear about the specific situation. He only knew that the eldest princess lost her son and suffered burns, and as a result she went crazy. He couldn't help but sigh that things in the world are unpredictable.
Not long after, Yin Xing stopped at the gate of Jiang Yun's residence, raised his hand and knocked on the door, feeling a little puzzled.
Even if it's haunted, there's no need to keep the doors and windows closed during the day.
Soon, a little girl's voice came from the courtyard gate, and she asked clearly, "Who is it?"
"It's me, your sister Jiang's friend. I brought you a kite to play with today." Yin Xing responded patiently.
Then the gate opened, and the little girl poked her head out. Yin Xing looked at her with interest and asked, "What are you doing?"
The little girl led Yin Xing into the courtyard and explained in a serious tone, "Sister Jiang said that the cat demon will transform into a human and speak, and when the gate is opened, it will enter the courtyard and eat people. So you are not allowed to go out casually until the cat demon is caught."
"But it's daytime now and demons and monsters won't go out." Yin Xing couldn't help but smile, thinking to himself that Jiang Yun's tricks of lying were endless.
"I don't know either. Anyway, my two sisters are not allowed to go out to play." The little girl stared at the beautiful kite with curiosity.
Yin Xing glanced at the bright red flowers drying in the yard and was a little surprised. Aren’t these the flowers that look like human heads?
Yin Xing then handed the kite to the little girl, leaned over and said to her, "I'll teach you how to fly a kite, okay?"
The little girl nodded, her eyes sparkling as she replied, "Okay!"
The kite swayed and rose up, and the lake breeze fluttered. Princess Tai'an, who was in the pavilion in the palace on the east side, casually glanced at the fat carp kite and was secretly puzzled.
Nowadays, due to the alarmist rumors about the Summer Palace, few people come out to visit the garden during the day, let alone have fun.
Xuan Yizhen sat dignifiedly in the main seat, her delicate hands holding documents and flipping through them, as if she hadn't seen anything. She said calmly, "Things have been going on lately. Have you visited the eldest princess?"
"I went there earlier. She was not in her right mind and would attack anyone. I wonder if the imperial physician sent by His Majesty has been able to diagnose the reason?" Princess Tai'an calmed down and responded. She had long known that the princesses fought fiercely, but to murder a fellow princess so blatantly was truly cruel and despicable.
"It is precisely because the imperial physician's treatment was ineffective that it is even more suspicious, so I want you to keep a close eye on the power movements of the other princesses." Xuan Yizheng closed the document and spoke calmly.
After all, the summer palace is not as heavily guarded as the imperial palace in the capital, so it is inevitable that some people will take advantage of the chaos to harbor bad intentions.
Princess Tai'an understood and her eyes fell on Xuan Yizhen's expression. Not quite understanding her intentions, she asked tentatively, "The Second Princess has been placed under house arrest. Could it be that there are other princesses involved?"
According to the investigation, Princess Tai'an's people only heard about the conflict between the eldest princess and the second princess, and there was no further news about the other two princesses.
Logically speaking, one should be on guard against the Second Princess, especially since the Second Princess had made many arrangements for the Third Prince in the court in the past.
Royal princesses have their own personal guards and a large amount of fiefdom, so they can naturally recruit soldiers. Although there are laws to limit the number, things like private soldiers are always uncertain.
"So you still need to investigate and verify this matter. I don't want to cause any chaos. It's always better to be prepared to curb it in time."
"What should we do if we encounter armed resistance?"
After the words fell, the only sound in the pavilion was the rustling of the warm lake breeze. Princess Tai'an needed the Empress's guarantee to prevent her from being used as a sword and then abandoned.
The royal family has never lacked cruel and ruthless people, and Princess Tai'an naturally knew this very well, so she tested the empress's intentions.
The empress was well aware of the evil intentions of these princesses to rebel, but she remained unaware of it, obviously having other plans.
Xuan Yizhen placed his fingertips on the ring on his finger and said slowly, "If the evidence is conclusive, we will kill his minions and order him to be demoted to a commoner."
"Yes, sir." Princess Tai'an stood up, still feeling a little hesitant.
Because the princesses' strength is far less than that of the dangerous empress, on the contrary, she is more threatening.
It is hard to tell whether this is trust or a test. Now we can only take it one step at a time.
The sun outside the pavilion gradually set, the kite slowly descended, and the little girl's cheeks were red from running, and she was sweating profusely.
When Liu Ci and Jiang Yun came back from outside, they saw two people, one big and one small, both of whom were exhausted from the heat in the pavilion.
"It's strange. You haven't left East Garden for a while. I thought you were afraid of ghosts and hid yourself." Jiang Yun joked.
"I didn't go out because I had something to do. What were you all busy with?" Yin Xing didn't want to bring up the ridiculous things with Xuan Yizheng, so he changed the subject.
Liu Ci raised her hand and wiped the little girl's sweaty forehead with an embroidered handkerchief. She said, "The eldest princess has gone mad. We have been ordered to diagnose and treat her illness."
Yin Xing asked with a curious look, "What's the situation of the eldest princess now?"
"When the eldest princess goes crazy, she can seriously injure the maids and waiters around her, especially because of the sharp armor. Many of them died or were disabled or disfigured. In short, it was a bloody scene you don't want to see." That's why Jiang Yun was worried about Liu Ci going to the hospital for treatment, so he accompanied him every day.
In particular, Jiang Yun asked Liu Ci and learned that it was the empress who ordered the use of the Wuxiang Flower to treat the eldest princess.
But Jiang Yun felt that now it was more like testing medicine than saving the princess.
Because Liu Ci confirmed that the eldest princess's madness was caused by accidentally eating the Wuxiang Flower. In other words, the poison was too strong and difficult to control.
There is often a huge difference between harming people and saving people.
"It's so terrible, can the eldest princess recover as usual?" Yin Xing was not very concerned about the eldest princess, but he felt that madness and hysteria had similarities, and perhaps Liu Ci could gain some treatment experience from it.
"We are still looking at the situation, but we have found the legendary formless flower. It is the flower cluster picked from the flower garden." While speaking, Jiang Yun drank the cold tea poured by Liu Ci. He did not say much. The eldest princess was disfigured due to burns, and it would be difficult for her to accept it if she returned to normal.
Yin Xing followed his gaze to the clusters of flowers drying in the sun, a little confused, then looked at Jiang Yun and said, "But don't Wuxiang flowers only bloom during the Ghost Festival?"
Some time ago, Yin Xing picked some flowers and brought them back for Xuan Yizheng to admire, never imagining that this was the legendary mysterious Wuxiang Flower.
Thinking about it now, Yin Xing felt that he was lucky not to be poisoned!
Jiang Yun shrugged and said helplessly: "How would I know why it opened so early?"
Speaking of which, Jiang Yun still has a mystery about the Wuxiang Flower that has not been solved.
Why does my mother’s blood jade pendant look so similar to the formless flower?
Could it be that my mother was looking for an antidote for Empress Wanqi at that time?
Liu Ci poured tea for Yin Xing and pondered aloud, "I think there might be a secret behind the unusual blooming of the Wuxiang Flower. Usually, poisons and antidotes are related, but we haven't found any yet."
"Have you gone to Huashu Garden for a thorough examination?" Yin Xing was concerned about Xuan Yizhen's condition and asked with concern.
"Huashu Garden has been searched countless times. I've even picked up many corpses. There's no way any of them were missed." Jiang Yun shook his head in response.
At first, Jiang Yun and Liu Ci didn't understand how the prisoners died.
Now we know that the flower tree is the formless flower, a highly hallucinogenic poisonous flower, and it is absolutely possible to kill silently to a certain extent.
Before he knew it, it was dusk. Yin Xing left Jiang Yun's residence. He was very excited to learn about the Wuxiang Flower, so he did not rush back to the East Garden, but went to the Flower Tree Garden.
The sky was ablaze with radiant light, as gorgeous as fire. Yin Xing stepped into the vast flower and tree garden. All he saw were tall trees, and the ground was covered with intertwined vines, making it inconvenient to walk.
When Yin Xing's figure entered the dense drooping branches, it was quickly covered up.
Because the branches blocked most of the setting sun, the area under the flower tree seemed a little gloomy. Yin Xing raised his hand to lift the drooping branches and looked at the dense and huge flower tree. He didn't notice that his clothes were stained with a slightly damp dark color, but he smelled a sticky and rich smell.
In the silence, the depths of the tree branches with drooping branches seemed even darker, and there were crowds of people and flowers. When the cat's cry sounded, Yin Xing was frightened and thought to himself that there really was a cat demon!
As night fell, silence enveloped the summer palace. Xuan Yizhen sat alone by the window, her beautiful eyes lowered as she looked at the documents, her fair fingertips tapping on the desk, revealing a sense of inexplicable annoyance.
Although Xuan Yizheng knew that it was impossible to lock up Yin Xing and prevent her from coming in or out, he really didn't like her to be away for too long.
The faint rays of sunlight outside the window were about to be completely drowned by the surging waves of the lake. Xuan Yizheng's eyes were gloomy, and his jade-white face was hidden in the darkness, making it difficult to distinguish.
The palace maids entered the room to light the lamps without daring to make a sound. Their eyes were fixed on the torn documents, feeling terrified.
Memorials from court officials were usually not allowed to be destroyed.
After a while, Yin Xing hurried back to the East Garden Hall. Seeing the dazzling light, he felt relieved. He walked forward and sat down, saying, "Yizhen, are you done with your work?"
Xuan Yizhen raised his eyes and looked at Yin Xing dimly, saying calmly, "Of course, I'm not as slow as you."
"I learned about the Wuxiang Flower from Jiang Yun and the others, so I went to the Flower Tree Garden, which delayed me."
"Don't you know there's a rumor that the Flower Tree Garden is haunted?"
Yin Xing nodded and replied sullenly, "I heard the cat meowing in the flower tree garden. As it was getting dark, I hurried back!"
Yin Xing didn't even see the cat just now, but he was so scared that his back felt cold. He just felt it was too weird!
Seeing Yin Xing's timid appearance, Xuan Yizhen didn't argue with her. He raised his hand and gently pinched her cheek, then placed it on her shoulder and said, "Then you should avoid Huashu Garden in the future. There might be something even more terrifying during the Ghost Festival."
Yin Xing, who had calmed down his fear, suddenly felt like he was in a ghost story when he heard Xuan Yizhen say that!
Especially since Yin Xing had just seen the maids burning paper to commemorate the little prince, and then heard the cat's meow, it was really creepy.
"Yizhen, do you know something?" Yin Xing asked curiously.
"There's a reason for the rumor that the Wu Xiang flower blooms during the Ghost Festival. Furthermore, it's highly toxic and can cause people to go berserk and insane. Doesn't this sound a lot like the legendary ghost possession?"
“That seems to make sense!”
Xuan Yizheng knew that Yin Xing was timid, so he exaggerated it deliberately. His eyes fell on her eyes where her thick eyelashes fluttered, and his thin lips raised.
Rumors are spreading in the summer palace now, and it is obvious that someone is trying to stir up trouble.
When it comes to ghosts and gods, few people are shy about it, not to mention the precedent of the eldest princess. It’s hard to say how lively the Ghost Festival will be.
In the silence, the lake breeze blew into the hall. Yin Xing quietly approached Xuan Yizhen, his eyes fixed on the bright glass lamp. Then he spoke with considerable courage: "Yizhen, I don't think there are ghosts in the world. I just scare myself."
Xuan Yizhen came back to his senses and looked at Yin Xing, whose words were inconsistent with his reality. He chuckled and said, "Is that so? Then you are so close to me, are you protecting me?"
"..." Yin Xing met Xuan Yizheng's teasing gaze with a thin face and was speechless for a moment.
But then Yin Xing noticed that Xuan Yizheng's expression changed slightly, and his eyes fell on her hand on her shoulder, which was actually as red as blood!
Xuan Yizhen was in no mood to tease. He raised his hand to carefully examine Yin Xing's body and said solemnly, "Are you injured or feeling unwell?"
Seeing Xuan Yizhen's solemn expression, Yin Xing shook his head and quickly replied, "I'm not injured. This isn't my blood."
Xuan Yizhen then slowly relaxed his furrowed brows, but his thin lips were still tightly pursed. He carefully untied Yin Xing's outer robe with his fingertips and examined the clothes carefully. This was indeed not blood, but more like a strange resin, sticky and oily.
Yin Xing didn't understand the reason and muttered, "Strange, I just went for a walk in the flower garden and didn't touch anything except the branches."
Oh my god, could that flower tree bleed if it became a spirit?
Is this definitely not the beginning of a ghost story?
Xuan Yizhen saw that Yin Xing didn't show any other abnormalities, so he took her away from the low couch and said thoughtfully: "No matter what, you should go take a bath first."
Yin Xing had no words to say about this, because Xuan Yizheng held his hand so tightly that it hurt a little. It was enough to feel how tense her heartstrings were beneath her calm face.
The candlelight flickered, the mist swirled, and the color gradually turned pink and white. Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen who was wiping him with a red face, wanting to say that there was no need to be so nervous.
But when Yin Xing saw Xuan Yizheng's cold and cautious look with lowered brows, he had to swallow his shame and cooperate with her inspection inside and out.
The sound of water rustles, the pink and white jade feet are curled up, and the tall body is reflected on the screen, like a peach branch in spring, delicate and bright.
If it were in the past, Xuan Yizheng would definitely tease her, but not now.
Drops of water fell from Yin Xing's straight eyelashes, blurring the beautiful expression of Xuan Yizhen as she wrapped a long scarf around her. He raised his hand to touch her serious face, then stood on tiptoe to kiss her thin lips, comforting her, "I'm fine, don't worry."
Xuan Yizhen's eyes were still filled with cold mist, unfathomable. He gently wiped the water droplets from Yin Xing's face with his fingertips. Feeling her warmth, he regained some of his composure and murmured, "Perhaps the only way to be safe is to tie you to my side."
These words surprised Yin Xing, because Xuan Yizheng always did what he said, and he was not just talking for fun.
Just when Yin Xing didn't know how to answer, his stomach growled with hunger. The sound was not loud, but clear enough.
"It seems you've been busy today and are very hungry." Xuan Yizheng gently stroked Yin Xing through the long scarf, feeling everything about him carefully.
"Yeah." Yin Xing really wanted to say that Xuan Yizhen's actions were like treating a pregnant woman!
When the two men came out, the female official Chunli went in to serve food, which was considered a successful rescue of Yin Xing.
The candlelight flickered as Yin Xing tasted the delicious fish balls and said with surprise, "The fish balls are delicious."
Xuan Yizhen's eyes fell on Yin Xing's fair cheek, never moving away for a moment. He raised his hand to tuck the hair beside her ear and said, "This is the fish caught in the lake, and then made into fish balls by the royal chef. You don't have to pick out the bones when eating fish."
"Wow, Yizhen, you are so nice!" Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen with a smile on her face, knowing that it must have been her who specially ordered the preparation.
"Of course, no one in this world will treat you better than me, no one." Xuan Yizheng held the chopsticks and served Yin Xing the food. Her beautiful eyes were soft and hazy with candlelight, like a brilliant galaxy, and even more like the boundless night sky, enough to swallow everything.
Yin Xing stared at it blankly, feeling dangerous and mysterious, and her face turned red. She lowered her head to eat the dishes prepared by Xuan Yizheng to hide her frantic heartbeat.
He really likes her, and he is really afraid, but Yin Xing feels that the two of them really cannot be tied down for life.
Even though Xuan Yizheng treats him very well, Yin Xing feels that this is inappropriate!
Seeing this, Xuan Yizheng didn't say much. His eyes casually swept across Yin Xing's red earlobe, and dark ripples appeared in his eyes.
The night wind was blowing, and Yin Xing and Xuan Yizheng were taking a walk together to digest their food, but the heat on their cheeks still did not subside.
The dark lake surface was dotted with stars, and the mountains were even darker. Yin Xing looked at the moon in the sky, thought of the Wuxiang Flower, and his heart was filled with hope.
Maybe once Xuan Yizheng's illness is cured, she will be able to live a more peaceful life.
"I hope Miss Liu can develop medicine to cure Yizhen as soon as possible." Yin Xing held Xuan Yizhen's cool hand and spoke solemnly.
"Yes, I will." Xuan Yizheng met Yin Xing's beautiful eyes full of hope, concealed his ferocious desire to control himself, and responded cooperatively.
For Xuan Yizheng in the past, being alive meant just living woodenly.
The reason why Xuan Yi is alive now is that he really wants to live with Yin Xing longer.
The pain of hysteria is nothing. Xuan Yizheng has always been accustomed to enduring pain.
The only thing Xuan Yizheng couldn't accept was losing Yin Xing, it was so heartbreaking.
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen under the moonlight. Her delicate features, beautiful skin, and misty eyes were just as beautiful as when they first met. He asked with a warm expression, "By the way, how do you want to celebrate Qixi Festival this year?"
Although the Ghost Festival is scary, we must prepare well for the Chinese Valentine's Day!
Xuan Yizhen came back to his senses, raised his hand to adjust Yin Xing's flying hairband, and glanced at the teeth marks on her collar, which had faded a lot. He said, "Live your life however you want. I have no objection."
"I haven't thought about it yet. The Summer Palace is not peaceful right now, and there's also the ghost story. Yizhen will be very busy then, right?"
"I'm not busy. I'm happy to cooperate with whatever you want to do."
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen who responded directly, and always felt that she was referring to something else, but unfortunately there was no evidence.
Xuan Yizhen patiently looked at the silent Yin Xing, his fingertips tightly clasped her hand. Worried that she didn't understand, he leaned over and kissed her lips, then said in a hint, "If you don't have any good ideas by then, I have plenty of preparations. You can choose whatever you want."
After saying this, Yin Xing was sure that he had not misunderstood!
The night wind floats on the surface of the lake, creating layers of wrinkles and blurring the intimate figures of the two people on the water.
After a dreamless night, the sky brightened with dawn, and the light of dawn shone on the summer palace, causing the heat to surge.
Faint rays of light shone from deep within the flower garden, illuminating the bloody mist and miasma that permeated the branches and leaves of the flowers. The mist slowly dissipated and fell onto the green vines on the ground.
Soon, Liu Ci and Jiang Yun entered, wearing veils. Jiang Yun raised his sword and parted the branches, gazing into the depths. He asked cautiously, "Ah Ci, have you noticed that the Wuxiang Flower Tree is looking different as the weather gets hotter?"
Liu Ci plucked the leaves with gloves on, only to discover a thick, blood-like gelatinous substance. He said, "I didn't realize this at first, but it's only recently appeared."
"So it's still related to the time of the Ghost Festival?" As he spoke, Jiang Yun cut off the flower cluster with a sword, lightly picked it up with the sword tip, and put it into a bamboo basket, not daring to be careless.
"Maybe it's not just the time, but also the temperature change." Liu Ci thought as he sealed the cloth bag that Jiang Yun's bamboo basket was in.
As he was speaking, a figure suddenly rushed out from the depths of the flower trees. Jiang Yun hurriedly protected Liu Ci and raised his hand to swing his sword.
The figure disappeared from their sight as fast as lightning. Jiang Yun could clearly see that it was a cat, and its flesh and blood seemed to be rotting, or more precisely, melting.
Now Jiang Yun finally understood how the prisoners' flesh, blood, and internal organs could rot away completely under the sun.
As the sun rose, the second princess's hospital room was filled with the lingering scent of sandalwood, making it seem even darker and more gloomy.
Princess Tai'an stepped inside and ordered her personal guards to open the windows. She then stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is magnanimous and has refrained from torture. However, Second Princess, it would be best if you could quiet down your subordinates to avoid further trouble, which would only bring disaster upon yourself."
The Second Princess rested her fingertips on her ruby buds, her expression calm. She looked at Princess Tai'an and asked, "Do you have any evidence to prove that I murdered my eldest sister's young prince?"
"You were able to cultivate puppet Gu with Du Ruo back then, so how difficult is it for you to control cats and dogs to harm people now?" Princess Tai'an's eyes fell on the Bodhisattva mural and glanced at it indifferently.
"So now there is nothing but speculation and no concrete evidence. Princess Tai'an, please go back." After saying that, the second princess withdrew her gaze and looked as if she was concentrating on worshiping Buddha.
Princess Tai'an frowned, her palm resting on the hilt of her sword, and said impatiently, "Do you really think His Majesty dares not touch you?"
The Second Princess scoffed, "Once the princess dies, the princess will have no chance of survival. You wouldn't be so foolish as to believe that Xuan Yizhen would pass the throne to a princess from another family, would you?"
After he finished speaking, the hall fell into dead silence. Princess Tai'an narrowed her eyes and looked down at the Second Princess, somewhat understanding why she was able to win over the court officials despite her notoriety.
"Before the cat disappeared, it was carried out of its residence by a maid. I discovered that she was the Third Princess's spy, so this is a frame-up."
"Words are useless. Where is the maid?"
The Second Princess remained calm and said, "The maid's body was left in the backyard to cultivate flowers and plants. It's a pity that she refused to say a word before she died."
Princess Tai'an's face was gloomy, and she didn't want to waste any more words. She said bluntly: "Xuan Muqing, your fiefdom's soldiers are already under surveillance. If you have any evil intentions, there will be no turning back."
After she finished speaking, the Second Princess paused fiddling with her ruby buds, looked directly at Princess Tai'an, and said, "This name is truly unfamiliar, but you're revealing Xuan Yizhen's surveillance now. You're not thinking of your royal bloodline, are you?"
This remark did not elicit a response from Princess Tai'an. The footsteps faded away, and the hall returned to silence.
The Second Princess looked at the dazzling light outside the hall, a twisted smile on her face as she murmured, "If I had thought about turning back, I would have died in the cold pond that year. Why bother fighting until today?"
Now the second princess is betting that Xuan Yizheng will not kill her without any evidence. If she dares, the situation she wants will be broken.
The royal princess is weak, so who will help Xuan Yizheng suppress the six elders of the Wanqi family?
Princess Tai'an, no matter how powerful she is, is just a princess. Unless all four princesses die, she will have no chance to succeed to the throne legitimately.
Whoever can endure now can survive, especially the second princess, who is certain that Xuan Yizheng will not live long, and if the eldest princess fails, she will be the first choice.
In the silence, the second princess's solemn laughter became clearer and clearer, causing the maids outside to tremble uncontrollably.
The sun rises slowly, changing freely. Qixi Festival is approaching. In the morning, Chunli, a female official in the east palace, is puzzled by the silence today.
Usually Yin Xing would come out for a walk and would not stay inside all the time.
In fact, Yin Xing really didn't want to stay inside, but when he looked at the silver chain around his ankle, he was a little confused!
Is it because I woke up in the wrong way?
But when Yin Xing looked at the other end of her ankle chain falling on her slender jade feet, her gaze followed the winding changes of the exquisite skirt, and slowly looked at the dignified and elegant Xuan Yizhen, she began to doubt her life.
Xuan Yizhen let Yin Xing's clear, round eyes study him with an open expression. He raised his hand and touched her face, gently rubbing the red marks of sleep, and asked expectantly, "Do you like this Qixi Festival gift?"
Yin Xing met Xuan Yizheng's dark beautiful eyes and fell into deep silence, praying in his heart that this would be a limited edition, rather than a permanent one!
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