Chapter 25 (8,000 words) Yizhen, what do you have...
It is not very quiet outside the waterside pavilion on a summer night. Cicadas and frogs are chirping and croaking non-stop, and occasionally you can hear the sound of fish splashing in the pond.
But Yin Xing felt it was too quiet at that moment. Only his own heartbeat was pounding rapidly, even louder than the sound of a drum. He stuttered and called out, trying to cover up, "Yizhen, why are you here tonight?"
Xuan Yizhen, holding a jade lantern, walked towards them from a distance, her expression serene. Her moon-white skirt with golden silk and cloud patterns swayed slightly, like the rolling waves. She spoke softly, "You mentioned a Dragon Boat Festival outing in your letter. Although I don't have time to attend, I had to come and accompany you. Are you not welcome?"
"No, of course I'm always welcome!" Yin Xing couldn't bear to disturb Xuan Yizhen, who looked like she had stepped out of a painting. The pavilion was now adorned with slender green branches and vibrant blossoms. Such a dense decoration was like a flower forest scene from a dream. "But why did Yizhen want to send flowers?"
"Actually, I don't know either. I just saw the red and pink hollyhocks and thought you might like them. What do you think?"
“It looks good. I like it very much.”
"That's good. Legend has it that these hollyhocks were extremely popular in the Xia Dynasty court. They're an extremely ancient species, and they bloom during the Dragon Boat Festival. They're considered auspicious objects, along with calamus and mugwort, to ward off evil spirits." Xuan Yizhen set the glass lamp aside, his eyes falling on Yin Xing's flushed cheeks. He raised his hand and gently touched her. "Is it hot?"
Yin Xing looked at the elegant and graceful Xuan Yizhen, and felt even more ashamed of his previous misunderstanding. He avoided her gaze and whispered, "No, I thought Yizhen had an appointment with someone else during the Dragon Boat Festival, so she wouldn't come to see me."
Xuan Yizhen blinked her beautiful eyes slightly, looking at Yin Xing's changing expression with a slightly dazed look in her eyes. She placed her slender fingertips close to her warm cheek, touching her just enough before saying slowly, "How could that be? I've been having some things lately that prevented me from going on an outing with you, but I never said I wouldn't come to see you."
"That's true." Yin Xing gathered his thoughts and responded positively. He held the hand that rested on his cheek with his palm, and with his other hand, he carefully fiddled with the beautiful drooping branches. He looked around and sighed, "But these hollyhocks are so long."
When Yin Xing measured himself with his arms, he realized that there was a clear difference in his height compared to these branches.
Xuan Yizhen and Yin Xing strolled leisurely through the garden, admiring the blushing branches. His gaze caught her small movements, and he lifted his lips slightly as he explained, "The hollyhock blossoms continuously grow from bottom to top, following new branches. They are extremely vigorous, often reaching over ten feet in height, with tall green branches and plump blossoms. When they grow in groups, they are quite spectacular, hence the name 'Dragon Boat Festival Scenery'."
"Is that so? If I had known Yizhen was preparing a surprise, I should have prepared something too." Yin Xing's gaze shifted from the beautiful and slender flower cluster to Xuan Yizhen's pretty face. His fingertips touched her cool and tender hand, feeling a little embarrassed.
No one had ever given him so many beautiful flowers. Yin Xing even felt that the flowers he had given before were a bit too simple.
"It's okay. It's good that you like it and are happy." Xuan Yizheng's eyes moved to Yin Xing's rosy cheeks. He felt that she was more pink than a bunch of flowers. The abnormality of the past few days came to his mind. His eyes were dark. He looked away and stopped looking at her as if suppressing himself.
"Actually, as long as Yizhen can come, I'll be very happy no matter what he does." Yin Xing's eyebrows were curved with joy, and he responded sincerely without noticing.
Before he finished speaking, he pulled out the soft hand in his palm and looked at Xuan Yizheng in confusion.
"You haven't eaten yet, let's eat together." Xuan Yizheng spoke as usual, but his eyes did not meet Yin Xing's, and he said softly.
Yin Xing didn't feel anything was wrong. He followed her to the open-air pavilion on the side of the waterside pavilion and sat down politely. His eyes fell on the meal and soup, which included zongzi. He raised his hand to serve her the soup and muttered, "If I had known Yizhen was coming to the courtyard tonight, I would have returned earlier."
Fortunately, food doesn’t get cold easily on summer nights, otherwise Yin Xing would have regretted having made Xuan Yizheng go through so much trouble in vain.
"So where are you going to have fun tonight?"
"No, I wanted to go to the other courtyard to visit Yizhen. On the way, I heard that you were holding a banquet in Guangbai Garden, so I wanted to go and take a look. In the end, I waited outside for a long time and couldn't get in."
As he spoke, Yin Xing felt a little embarrassed and buried his head in drinking the ginseng chicken soup to hide his embarrassment.
Seeing this, Xuan Yizhen understood, chuckled and said nothing, holding the porcelain spoon and drinking the soup.
Yin Xing stole a glance at Xuan Yizheng's faint smile, which was tinged with the silver moonlight, and felt her face getting even hotter. She lowered her head to taste the various dishes, and silently served them to her.
For a moment, the only sound was the subtle clinking of dishes and chopsticks.
When Yin Xing focused his attention on eating the rice dumplings, he raised his hand to untie the knot, and smelled the sweet fragrance on his nose. He took out two portions, placed one on Xuan Yizheng's small plate, and then took a small sip of the other. He tasted the fragrance of soft glutinous rice, and then found that there were various small fruits such as red beans, coix seeds, grapes, dried fruits, etc. in it. It turned out to be a sweet rice dumpling!
"Don't be too greedy, just try a small amount." Xuan Yizheng's eyes fell on Yin Xing's bulging cheeks as he chewed the food, looking like a very small animal.
As expected, Yin Xing has a sweet taste, but the food in the Xizhou Houfu area is not like that. As he thought about it, Xuan Yizheng's eyes gradually became dark and deep.
"Yeah." Yin Xing raised his eyes to meet Xuan Yizheng's calm gaze, quickly restrained his eating posture, and responded obediently.
After a while, Yin Xing put down her chopsticks and realized that Xuan Yizhen didn't eat much, even less than she used to eat.
Manager Xin led his men inside, cleared the dishes, served tea, and left.
While Yin Xing was distracted, she saw Xuan Yizhen holding up the teacup. The snow-white gauze ribbon stretched deep beneath her left sleeves. She asked nervously, "Yizhen, what's wrong with your hand?"
No wonder Xuan Yizheng’s left hand had hardly moved since before, it turned out that he was injured.
Xuan Yizhen drank her tea as usual, her beautiful eyes lowered to avoid Yin Xing's concerned gaze, and she replied slowly, "I accidentally bumped into something a few days ago, so I'm temporarily wearing gauze and applying medicine."
"Is it serious? How could he get bumped into something?" In Yin Xing's impression, Xuan Yizhen was surrounded by maids, and there was basically no dangerous thing that required much effort.
Moreover, if Xuan Yi really needed it, Yin Xing even felt that she could just stretch out her hand and have food and clothes provided for her, without having to lift a hand or move her legs, as someone would serve her in her daily life.
"It's okay, it's almost healed now, but..." Xuan Yizhen spoke calmly and casually, his eyes gently falling on Yin Xing's anxious frown, and he paused, "It might leave an unsightly scar."
Yin Xing was stunned, his eyes reflecting Xuan Yizhen's jade-white face, which showed a calm expression. It seemed as if she didn't care at all. But in his heart, he felt that she must be very concerned, so he said quickly: "It's okay, Yizhen, take good care of yourself, and you will definitely recover."
Modern girls are very reluctant to leave scars. I guess Xuan Yizheng, as a princess of the dynasty, cares more about her body and hair.
The third princess became gloomy and cruel because of her disfigurement, and even executed all those who participated in making the fireworks. It can be seen that no one would not care about having scars on their body.
"This scar might be difficult to heal. If you saw it, you probably wouldn't like it, right?"
"No, I have a scar from the last time I fell on my arm. It's not that bad looking."
Seeing Xuan Yizheng like this, Yin Xing naturally wanted to comfort her as much as possible to prevent her from feeling disappointed.
Xuan Yizhen saw Yin Xing's worried look and felt strange. He lowered his eyes, letting his long eyelashes cast sparse shadows, revealing his loneliness and sorrow. He raised his hand and gently placed it on his left arm, saying slowly, "Forget it. This injury is different. You'll probably just feel disgusted when you see it."
"Yizhen, don't be sad. I can swear to God that if I show any disgust towards you, I will be struck by lightning!" Yin Xing anxiously wanted to prove himself to Xuan Yizhen so that she would not be sad alone.
After he finished speaking, Xuan Yizheng felt the intense gazes, a faint light flowed across his cold brows, the corners of his eyebrows and eyes changed subtly, yet concealed a dark color, and he returned to calmness.
"I didn't say I didn't believe you, so why swear such a poisonous oath?" Xuan Yizhen muttered to herself, her beautiful eyes gazing at Yin Xing calmly and openly. Finally, her thin lips couldn't help but lift a little, and she raised her hand to touch the tiny scar on her forehead. "Besides, if you have any bad intentions, it's my turn to punish you. It's not the place for Heaven to meddle in other people's affairs."
Yin Xing listened to Xuan Yizhen's gentle words, and saw the softness flowing in her misty eyes, which made her face warm like a spring breeze. She said, "Yizhen, just believe me, but you have to be more careful next time."
Although he didn't know the extent of Xuan Yizhen's arm injury, Yin Xing felt that she must be seriously injured, and he couldn't help but feel more worried and confused.
"But Yizhen, were you bullied by that female official in charge?"
"No, it was just an accident."
Xuan Yizhen lowered his eyes to look at Yin Xing's clear, round eyes beneath her thick lashes. They were as vibrant as the sun. He lightly touched the bottom of her eyes with his fingertips. His throat rolled, and his teeth clenched with pain. He said softly, "I won't be as foolish as you and let others bully me. Don't overthink it. Everything will be fine soon."
After saying that, Xuan Yizheng withdrew his hand and stopped touching Yin Xing. His fingertips slightly tightened, and he tried his best to restrain himself.
Yin Xing was a little confused when he saw Xuan Yizheng's ambiguous attitude, and even thought that she had something to hide.
But if Xuan Yizheng didn't want to say it, he would definitely not be able to get any details from her.
The words fell in silence. The dark surface of the pond was reflected with dots of silver light. The breeze caressed the flowers, swaying the branches and filling the air with fragrance.
It was then that Yin Xing discovered that not only the inside of the water pavilion, but even the beams, pillars and roof tiles were densely covered with layers of bright red and pink flowers. If viewed in the daytime, it would be even more intense and eye-catching.
Speaking of which, this bright and charming hollyhock seems to be inconsistent with Xuan Yizheng's quiet and reserved temperament.
It would be great if Xuan Yi could be so generous and open with me about her troubles.
I always feel that Xuan Yi really has too many things hidden in her heart, making it difficult to guess what she is thinking. Maybe I should pay more attention to her daily life.
"Yizhen, was the banquet you held at Guangbai Garden lively?"
"Banquets are usually lively and noisy, but it's better for you not to go."
Yin Xing was slightly stunned, his eyes fell on Xuan Yizhen's face, who looked calm, and asked with a puzzled look, "Why?"
Xuan Yizhen's beautiful eyes turned slightly, their expression dark and silent, but her tone was gentle and tender as she slowly replied, "Because you'll learn bad things if you go."
Yin Xing stared at the flickering candlelight covering Xuan Yizhen's cold, jade-white cheeks. Her beautiful eyes were like lacquer, ethereal and hazy. Her expression didn't seem to be joking. Suspicion grew in his heart and he said, "Isn't Yizhen afraid of learning bad things?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yizhen didn't speak immediately. She only smiled faintly, her dark eyebrows relaxed, her gaze fixed on the round eyes that shone like stars before her. Then she said slowly and quietly, "Perhaps I am even worse than them."
"I don't believe it. Yizhen is obviously the most gentle and kind person. The eldest princess caused the third princess and so many casualties. She is the worst."
"Really? Now do you understand why the Third Princess' boat party was successfully plotted?"
Yin Xing had long forgotten that Xuan Yizhen had diverted the conversation, and replied thoughtfully, "I think the Third Princess was too arrogant and careless, so she gave the First Princess an opportunity to take advantage of her."
The cruise ship was tampered with during renovation. If you pay more attention, you should be able to find out the clues.
As for the fireworks, which were the highlight of the Third Princess, they were still adulterated, which was really negligent.
"There is no impenetrable wall in this world. There will always be opportunities for exploitation, so this is not the most fatal mistake the Third Princess made."
"Then what do you think was the most fatal mistake that led to the Third Princess's scheme?"
Xuan Yizhen looked calmly at Yin Xing, who was full of trust, and said thoughtfully, "The Third Princess exposed her most proud thing too blatantly, so that everyone knew that her banquet fireworks were the key. If everyone attacked her, it would naturally be impossible to defend against her."
Yin Xing was slightly startled. He looked at the calm and composed Xuan Yizhen, who seemed to see things clearly. He hesitated and asked, "Could it be that Yizhen also feels that the eldest princess wasn't the only one involved in the third princess's boat accident?"
"You have no evidence or proof, so don't make rash comments. Why don't you believe the case closing documents of the Dali Temple and the emperor's edict?" Xuan Yizheng looked at Yin Xing in confusion.
"I don't know either. Maybe it's because the Third Princess has no idea about the adulterated fireworks." Yin Xing couldn't figure it out, so he asked Xuan Yizheng.
Xuan Yizhen chuckled softly, and the mist in his dark eyes seemed to dissipate slightly, revealing a deeper depth. He said casually, "Perhaps only the Third Princess knows about this. After all, she is responsible for all the personnel involved in the production of the fireworks, and the Dali Temple has not had access to any relevant evidence."
Seeing Xuan Yizhen sipping tea, Yin Xing's gaze wandered over her beautiful, gentle face, as if gazing at the moon in the water, hazy and distant. He asked curiously, "Yizhen, did you also know that Wu Sicheng was trying to threaten me?"
Yin Xing really couldn't think of any other situation regarding that note.
After all, if that smiling tiger had not encountered a fatal dilemma, I don't think he would have changed his attitude 180 degrees.
So Yin Xing suspected that Wu Shijie seemed to have known the date of his death before going to court.
Xuan Yizhen nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Well, ever since Wu Shijie took you to the four places to deal with the case of the Third Princess' boat accident, I knew they had set their sights on you."
Yin Xing was surprised, but not too shocked. After all, Xuan Yizheng always seemed to understand many things.
Although Xuan Yizhen never hides her true colors, Yin Xing has no reason to believe all her judgments.
"Then Yizhen informed the shipyard in the southeast of the capital. Wasn't that intentional?" Yin Xing now knew that Wu Shijie was following him and even sent people to kill him.
But Xuan Yizheng should have known Wu Shijie earlier, so all his actions were exposed to the public without any concealment.
Thinking of this, Yin Xing himself was shocked, and Wu Shijie would be even more terrified.
Xuan Yizhen replied calmly, "I didn't want to tell you, but you kept asking, and since you were already investigating the shipyard, it was obvious someone would try to stop me. I had no choice but to take advantage of the situation."
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen, feeling somewhat embarrassed. If he hadn't investigated the shipyard, it seemed he wouldn't have been trapped by Wu Shijie. He blinked his bright eyes and smiled bitterly, "Fortunately, I have Yizhen, otherwise I might have ended up in jail without knowing what was going on."
"You think too simply. The only fate for the officials involved in this accident is death."
"That's true. Wu Shijie's body is still hanging in the Dali Temple. I wonder if the princess will send someone to bury him."
Xuan Yizhen looked at Yin Xing's pitying murmurs, acting foolishly. He sighed softly and replied, "Wu Shijie isn't the eldest princess's man, otherwise he wouldn't have wanted to lead the accident to the cruise ship renovation in the first place. On the surface, he was trying to shift the blame from the third princess, but in reality, he was the key to the adulterated fireworks you've been obsessed with."
Yin Xing was dumbfounded, staring at Xuan Yizhen in astonishment. His mind was a little confused, and he said in disbelief, "Then isn't he framing the princess?"
Before dying, he plays such a trick. The smiling tiger is too cruel!
"It's true that the Grand Princess cruise ship was tampered with during renovations, which is why she bribed Chang Tonghai to burn the archives. However, she didn't expect Wu Shijie to indirectly use her to learn about the shipyard."
"So Wu Shijie is actually covering up for another murderer?"
Yin Xing blinked her bright round eyes and looked at Xuan Yizheng, her eyes full of unconcealable curiosity and exploration.
Xuan Yizhen laughed faintly, tapping her smooth forehead with his fingertips, and jokingly said, "Don't look at others like that in the future, otherwise you won't be able to hide your identity at all."
"Hehe, don't worry." Yin Xing responded with a silly smile. Seeing that Xuan Yizheng was willing to touch him, he raised his hand and held Xuan Yizheng's right hand, waiting for him to clarify his doubts.
"If the Third Princess hadn't disobeyed the imperial order and executed those involved in the fireworks, Wu Shijie would have been of greater use."
"It has a greater use. I've never understood this. There's something wrong with the adulteration of fireworks. The Third Princess can't find out, but she refuses to hand it over to the Dali Temple."
Xuan Yizhen lightly touched the lines on Yin Xing's warm palm with his fingertips and replied slowly, "This is also the other murderer's sophistication. Fireworks and various raw materials are controlled substances, especially saltpeter. If we trace the source to the Third Princess, it will only lead to more problems. The other party is certain that the Third Princess will not reveal the fireworks problem, and also knows that the Third Princess will deal with those involved, so it is easy for her to hide."
Yin Xing, feeling a bit ticklish, gently pinched Xuan Yizhen's hand and sighed, "This murderer is so cunning. He has completely grasped the Third Princess's personality and hasn't revealed a single flaw. It seems he has already escaped."
"Really? Actually, that's not necessarily the case."
"Now that the imperial decree has been issued and the case has been finalized, is there still a possibility of overturning the verdict?"
Xuan Yizhen's expression was calm, but his fingertips slowly grasped Yin Xing's hand, moving as quietly as a jade-white silk ribbon. He spoke slowly, "As the saying goes, the tree wishes for stillness, but the wind does not stop. Perhaps the Third Princess will discover something when she comes to her senses."
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen with admiration and asked eagerly, "Yizhen, who is the other murderer?"
I always feel that Xuan Yizheng seems to have already known the other murderer, otherwise Wu Shijie would not have given up threatening me and instead looked for the eldest princess as a scapegoat.
Xuan Yizhen's beautiful eyes reflected Yin Xing's sparkling eyes, and she couldn't help but respond with a frightened look: "The more you know in the capital, the more dangerous it is. Do you still want to cause trouble for me?"
Yin Xing immediately shook his head obediently and responded silently: "No, from now on, if Yizhen tells me to go east, I will never go west!"
Although Yin Xing was very curious about the truth, he valued his life more and especially did not want to implicate Xuan Yizheng.
The wind blew and the clouds moved, the moonlight was obscured, and while the Dragon Boat Festival was being celebrated in various places in the capital, there was one place that was dead silent.
The eldest princess's mansion was extremely deserted. The maids served tea inside, full of vigilance.
"My dear sister, are you here to congratulate me on the festival, or to settle the score later?" The eldest princess sat at the desk, her slender armor shining brightly in the candlelight, and she raised her glass and drank with a smile.
"You don't think that being confined to the palace for half a year can wipe the slate clean, do you?" The third princess said coldly with a gloomy expression.
After she finished speaking, the eldest princess straightened up slightly and fixed her gaze on the third princess wearing a half-mask. Her eyes looked gloomy and terrifying. She spoke hesitantly, "Perhaps my sister won't believe me, but I only wanted to disrupt the boat party. At most, I would burn to death some insignificant nobles. But those who really want to harm you are more sophisticated."
The Third Princess scoffed, raised her hand and overturned the wine jug, and angrily shouted, "The evidence is irrefutable, yet you still want to deny it. Do you really think everyone is a fool?"
The commotion in the hall attracted the guards to come in one after another. The eldest princess waved her hand and looked at the aggressive third sister with a bad expression.
"Please think about this, Imperial Sister. Since the cruise ship has already been rigged, why bother adulterating the fireworks? Those are your special fireworks. How can ordinary people understand them so well?"
"But you need to set fire to the cruise ship, and fireworks are naturally the best way to conceal it."
The eldest princess frowned and said, "It's just a fire. Just order someone to overturn the candlesticks in the inner cabin. Besides, the modified cruise ship can't accommodate the number of people you have that night, so we can sink it in the middle of the lake. Then our goal will be achieved."
After the words fell silent, the third princess stared at the eldest princess and said, "If it wasn't you, who did the adulteration of fireworks?"
"There must be something fishy about Wu Shijie, the chief minister of the Dali Temple who slandered and accused me. The person behind him must be the mastermind." The eldest princess analyzed in a deep voice, feeling unhappy in her heart. She had to bear all the blame this time, and her reputation was completely ruined.
"Wu Shijie isn't your man, so why would he go to the trouble of burning down the shipyard and killing the owner to silence him?" The Third Princess stood up solemnly, looking down at the First Princess gloomily. "This matter isn't over yet. Be careful from now on."
The eldest princess looked unhappy and said arrogantly, "If you insist on fighting, I will accompany you to the end. However, the second brother is a man with hidden intentions. His thoughts are far greater than ours. You should think it over carefully."
After that, the two parted unhappily. The third princess rode out of the palace in a carriage, her palms clenched into fists, veins bulging.
After years of fighting, the eldest princess's abilities and methods were indeed not enough to be so thorough and flawless.
The second princess who is a vegetarian and a Buddhist is really a hidden genius and can be so cruel.
After the carriage drove away from the street in front of the eldest princess's door, the maids in the hall cleaned up the wreckage without saying a word.
The eldest princess poured the wine and drank it, feeling filled with resentment. This time she was being used like a knife, and the second brother was so hateful!
"Get out!" The eldest princess was so angry that the wine cup in her hand fell down fiercely, and blood spurted out of the maid's forehead. The wine and blood on the ground mixed together, reflecting her hideous face.
In the dead silence, the sound of wooden fish gradually rose in the second princess's mansion, incense lingered in the air, and a huge portrait of Bodhisattva was hung in the hall. The maids moved carefully, not daring to disturb anyone.
"Master, the spies report that the third princess has left the eldest princess's residence. I guess the situation is tense now." A maid whispered.
"Have you found the person?" asked the second princess in Taoist clothes.
The maid's expression froze, and she hesitated, "No, I'm afraid the situation has changed."
The Second Princess paused fiddling with her Zen beads and asked quietly, "Where's that other courtyard?"
"That person has been behaving strangely lately. He frequently entertains young masters from aristocratic families in Guangbai Garden and rarely stays in the other courtyards." The maid responded with extreme caution.
"That crazy woman never interacts with others and behaves strangely. Is she still in Guangbai Garden now?" The second princess asked unhappily.
The maid replied fearfully, "None of the spies from Guangbai Garden have returned. Their whereabouts are unknown."
As the words fell, the atmosphere became noticeably cold and depressing. The Second Princess's hand, gripping the Zen beads tightly, trembled slightly, and the injured arm ached faintly. She could only calm her mind and exhale deeply, saying, "It's better for that man to fall into anyone's hands than into the hands of that madman. We must keep a close eye on him, otherwise who knows how many accidents will happen."
"I understand. I'll send more people right away." The maid understood and left.
When the footsteps faded away, the second princess closed her eyes and recalled the boat accident she had witnessed that night. She was still a little surprised.
As expected, the cruise ship accident should result in the destruction of the ship and the death of everyone on board, with no one surviving.
The emperor will surely order a thorough investigation into the cause of the third princess's death, and Wu Shijie can then naturally expose the hoarding of prohibited items such as firearms raw materials behind the fireworks.
By then, the eldest prince would surely be suspected by his father and lose favor, thus missing out on the position of crown prince.
But that night the cruise ship did not go according to plan and expectation. A large amount of kerosene exploded from the inner bottom hold prematurely, causing a deafening noise, which ruined the original opportunity to burn the ship with kerosene.
After all, the so-called adulteration of fireworks was just a fuse; the real danger was the kerosene barrel inside, but unfortunately its destructive power was completely diluted by the lake water.
The third princess did not die. Instead, she immediately dealt with the people and other physical evidence related to the fireworks, becoming a perfect victim.
The key chess piece Wu Shijie was killed after his guilt was exposed. This huge accident was only resolved within the Dali Temple and did not affect the government or the public.
It was just like a boat accident, as if the power was misplaced and strangled by an invisible person.
The second princess thought about it for a long time before she realized that someone had deliberately changed the power of the kerosene.
It was definitely not a coincidence that Xuan Yizheng appeared at the Lakeside View Tower that night.
That madwoman of hers would go to great lengths to mess up all plans just for fun.
The more the second princess thought about it, the angrier she became. Her face turned pale and she dropped the Zen beads in her hand to the ground. The maids around her knelt down one after another.
The second princess was unwilling to accept this, but she knew that Xuan Yizhen liked to watch everyone fighting to the death like ants.
They are both princesses of a noble dynasty, so why is Xuan Yizheng born to look down on everything?
I must deal with Xuan Yizheng first, otherwise she will always ruin my plans. If this goes on, she will just become a toy for her to pass the time!
In the silence, the ruby Zen beads rolled onto the ground soaked in the cold white moonlight, like blood dripping on paper, shocking to the eye.
The waning moon hung low in the sky, and the light on the surface of the pond swayed and changed with the ripples. The night breeze was slightly cooler. Yin Xing, sitting on the low couch, muttered, "I don't know when the resignation documents will be approved. I want to move to the other courtyard sooner to be with you."
Xuan Yizhen sat aside, letting Yin Xing rest her head on his knees. He raised his hand to pick a hollyhock and handed it to her, saying leisurely, "No hurry. I think it's better for you to live here first."
"Why?" Yin Xing took the hollyhock in his palm and looked at Xuan Yizheng, somewhat puzzled.
She had been suggesting that I move to a separate residence for a while, so why did she suddenly change her mind?!
"If you live in the villa with your status, you will easily attract attention and cause many inconveniences." Xuan Yizheng let Yin Xing watch with a frank expression. He touched her cheek and fine hair with his fingertips and spoke softly.
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen in confusion, unable to hide his disappointment, and said, "Will I bring trouble to Yizhen?"
"Of course not, but you can't do that now. You can stay here for the time being." Xuan Yizheng met Yin Xing's depressed eyes, touched her with his fingertips with pity, and his heart felt less restrained.
"I know, Yizhen, you have a secret, right?" Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen's calm eyes, took her hand in his, and placed it in front of his eyes to hide his loneliness. "It's okay, everyone has secrets, so there's no need to explain. I will wait for the day when Yizhen is willing to move to the other courtyard."
After he finished speaking, Yin Xing heard Xuan Yizhen whisper in the quiet place, "Okay."
Yin Xing felt complicated. It turned out that Xuan Yizhen did have a secret.
"Will you be unhappy?"
"No, actually I want to move to the other courtyard because I want Yizhen to be happy, because friends are people who can make each other happy."
After he finished speaking, the hand in front of Yin Xing was removed, and some light fell in front of his eyes. His gaze fell on Xuan Yizhen who had retracted her hand again. He always felt that she seemed to be hesitant to touch him.
Xuan Yizhen lowered his eyes and looked down at the quiet Yin Xing. He felt a softness in his heart, and a strange feeling surged. He quickly shifted his focus and asked in a low voice: "Friends, what happy things do you do for each other?"
"A lot. We do fun and happy things together, like shopping and sightseeing. In short, there are many things we can cooperate and help each other with." Yin Xing didn't know how to sum it up when asked.
After all, a three-year-old child would know the meaning of friends, but when Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizheng's beautiful eyes covered with mist, he could see some curiosity and exploration in them, and he felt surprised.
Maybe Xuan Yizheng has never made friends.
"Is that so?" Xuan Yizheng murmured softly, with a confused look in his eyes.
"Yizhen, is there anything you want me to do?"
"What can you do?"
Yin Xing thought Xuan Yi was really testing him, so he stood up slightly, raised his hand to break it off, and said seriously, "I can ride a horse now, and I also know a little bit about archery and cuju. Polo is too difficult, so I can't do it yet. What do you like to play? I'll play with you."
Xuan Yizhen arched his brows and smiled softly, his voice clear and ethereal. He subconsciously raised his right hand, wanting to pinch her face, but restrained himself and let it fall. He said calmly, "But I don't like these things. You are very suitable to be the fourth princess's playmate."
After he finished speaking, Yin Xing felt a little worried. He blinked his eyes and looked at the gentle Xuan Yizhen, then looked at her injured left arm, and felt that she was indeed not suitable for playing these games.
After all, Xuan Yizheng is in poor health and could easily get hurt if she gets bumped into something.
"It's safer to go out for a spring outing, enjoy the flowers, or take a boat ride to watch the moon."
"I don't like these either. What should I do?"
Yin Xing was a little speechless, his eyes wandering on Xuan Yizheng's beautiful face. If it weren't for her frank expression, he would really suspect that she was making things difficult for herself.
So Yin Xing thought about it and changed his mind. He asked, "What does Yizhen do on a daily basis?"
Xuan Yizhen saw through Yin Xing's thoughts, her beautiful eyes turned quietly, and she replied slowly: "I spend most of my time folding books, and in my spare time I enjoy flowers and fish, and occasionally practice piano and painting, so I don't want to do the same thing again."
Yin Xing, who had been planning to cater to his preferences, was completely stunned after hearing the last sentence.
Xuan Yi really doesn't like to do what he often does.
It’s not something he does often, and Xuan Yizheng doesn’t like to do it either.
Yin Xing suddenly felt that this topic was a bit tormenting. She lay back on Xuan Yizhen's lap, buried her head in despair, and cried, "Wow, I don't think I'm suitable to be your friend."
Xuan Yizhen raised his hand and gently poked Yin Xing's fair cheek, his eyebrows gentle and smiling: "No, you are very pleasing like this."
After she finished speaking, Yin Xing stopped pretending to cry and looked at Xuan Yizhen with innocent eyes, wondering what kind of weird hobby she had?!
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