Chapter 34 (8,000 words) Yin Xingxiang waits for his master...
Just as Yin Xing was lost in thought and didn't know how to respond.
Xuan Yizheng, however, withdrew his hand, looking calm and composed, as if the embarrassing words he had said before were nothing out of the ordinary.
"It will be inconvenient for us to communicate for a while. As for the marriage documents, please copy and submit them every day as usual. Don't worry about anything else."
"Okay, but what is Yizhen busy with?"
Xuan Yizhen looked into Yin Xing's bright eyes, his gaze wandering to her lips before he spoke slowly, "Embroidery pattern."
Yin Xing was puzzled. Xuan Yizhen didn't look like someone who would be obsessed with a particular hobby, but she didn't want to pester her. So she could only ask, "Can I go see Yizhen on my day off?"
After she finished speaking, Xuan Yizheng shook her head, and the green pearls and stones in her high black hair swayed slightly. The candlelight cast a mottled light on them, making her look like a sparkling green pool, even more quiet and beautiful.
"Since you've written a letter proposing marriage, you have to avoid suspicion. If we have close contact, it will cause gossip. Aren't these what you care about the most?" Xuan Yizheng spoke softly and gently, as if everything was just for Yin Xing's consideration.
"..." Yin Xing was unable to refute and stared at the beautiful and gentle Xuan Yizhen, feeling inexplicably that something was strange.
I care about the rumors because I don't want to affect Xuan Yizheng's reputation, but why do I feel like Xuan Yizheng is rejecting me with words?
Xuan Yizhen let Yin Xing stare silently, his expression calm and soft, "What's wrong?"
"No." Yin Xing shook his head with a disturbed look, thinking that it was probably his own illusion.
Xuan Yizheng is such a kind person, she even kisses him as she pleases, how could that happen?
"That's good. You should be careful when interacting with the princesses and princesses these days. If gossip spreads and makes your marriage difficult, don't shed tears in front of me then." Xuan Yizheng seemed to be speaking nonchalantly, without any serious advice at all. Her beautiful eyes were as clear and pure as the scenery of lakes and mountains.
"I know. I won't get involved in the disappearance case of Princess Xinyang again." Yin Xing felt nervous and shy when he heard this, especially when Xuan Yizheng mentioned that he had cried secretly. It was really shameful!
Not long after, Yin Xing sent Xuan Yizheng out of the courtyard. He raised his hand and touched his lips, feeling a little dizzy.
It seems that he needs to pay more attention to his daily life in the future. Otherwise, if rumors spread and the marriage proposal fails, and Xuan Yizhen marries some young man from a noble family, Yin Xing will regret it to death.
Outside the waterside pavilion, a waning moon hangs high in the sky, quiet and beautiful, while the carriages and horses traveling through the streets of the capital make crisp tinkling sounds due to the hanging jade, which is pleasant and ethereal.
The curtains of the carriage swayed slightly, and the light from the glass lamps inside shone on Xuan Yizheng's cold and pale cheeks as he closed his eyes to rest, like a jade-faced Bodhisattva who was neither sad nor happy.
Xuan Yizheng's long eyelashes cast shadows on the cold white skin, which was free and changing, strangely beautiful and quiet, but the slender fingertips seemed to be caressing it lightly, as if it was unbearable, leaving a lingering softness and moisture.
It was the soft touch unique to lips and tongue, and only Yin Xing could make Xuan Yizheng so overwhelmed yet delighted.
Even if he just recalled the moment when Yin Xing licked the thick rouge between his fingertips, Xuan Yizheng's breathing became unnaturally low, and his thin lips were pursed into a line. He didn't understand the reason, but inexplicably wanted to ravage and destroy her.
This feeling was probably like treating Yin Xing as one of those delicate and bright flowers, crushing it into a thick and decadent flower juice without hesitation, so as to relieve the unbearable feeling.
At that moment, Xuan Yizheng even had the urge to taste Yin Xing's flesh and blood.
However, Xuan Yizheng knew that Yin Xing would definitely not agree. She was so timid that she would only stay away from him in fear.
That was not the result Xuan Yizhen wanted.
That's why Xuan Yizheng rarely looked at Yin Xing before, and secretly restrained his unreasonable thoughts so as not to let her notice anything unusual.
Xuan Yizheng slowly opened his eyes and calmly looked at the flames of the glass lamp, letting the flames reflect in his quiet eyes, leaping like sparks on a prairie fire, and sighed with regret.
If Yin Xing wasn't so afraid of pain and timid, maybe he could give it a try.
Unfortunately, there is no need to rush now, Xuan Yizheng can only take it step by step.
Xuan Yizheng raised his hand to play with the red silk ribbon on his fair white wrist. His fingertips wrapped around it one piece after another, and the strength gradually deepened. His veins were slightly visibly stretched. His breathing changed through his high and straight nose, and his eyes were churning and sinking. A light sound came out from between his teeth, which seemed to be pain, but also like joy.
The carriage slowly moved into the night, the crisp tinkling sound of jade continuing, silently covering up the subtle movements.
As the stars and the moon in the sky move and the morning glow shines on the earth, time passes and the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching.
Because Yin Xing submitted petitions for marriage every day, the officials of the Dali Temple gradually became bored from watching the show at first.
The emperor no longer reviewed the documents he ordered the eunuchs to send back, so I guess they fell into oblivion.
In the afternoon, Yin Xing was on duty alone, his hope becoming increasingly slim, and his face filled with worry, because it was said that the emperor would announce the marriage between Xuan Yizhen and the son of the Xiahou family at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet.
Xuan Yizheng couldn't celebrate the festival with him because he had to attend a palace banquet. The situation was obviously a fait accompli and there was no room for maneuver.
Yin Xing's dejected head lay on the desk. He was so anxious that he didn't know what to do, and his eyes were slightly sour.
"Strange, why are you so listless today?" Jiang Yun turned over and walked in, sitting down casually.
"It's nothing, it's just that the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming." Yin Xing restrained his expression and responded in a low voice, not wanting Jiang Yun to laugh at him.
Jiang Yun saw through it but didn't say anything. He looked away, fiddling with the sword tassel with his fingertips, and said in a friendly manner: "This is a good thing. The officials have a Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. If you don't have relatives or friends in the country, I can treat you to a cake together for the holiday."
Yin Xing shook his head and replied bluntly: "No, you wouldn't come to me if you had nothing to do. Last time, I almost lost my life because of the incident with Princess Xinyang."
Now Yin Xing didn't dare to take anything Jiang Yun said lightly.
"That was just an accident. Besides, if you want to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, you need to perform a great deed. I have some important information about the missing persons case. Do you want to hear it?"
"What?"
Jiang Yun changed his playful expression and said seriously, "Ever since I petitioned, I have been keeping an eye on Princess Xinyang's movements. I found out something was wrong with Quelou and stopped selling Beauty Red."
Yin Xing asked in confusion, "Beauty Red, what is it?"
"This is the favorite rouge of many high-ranking officials and noble ladies. It is sold exclusively at Quelou. It's very expensive but extremely popular."
"So what does this have to do with the spate of disappearances?"
Jiang Yun pulled out a box of Beauty Red Rouge from his sleeve and said, "Look, if there's nothing fishy going on, why would Princess Xinyang suddenly give up such a great opportunity to make money?"
Yin Xing looked at the opened rouge box. The color was rosy and the texture was delicate. Compared to the rouge she bought, the difference was obvious at a glance. She said, "Yes, but Princess Xinyang was also one of the victims in the missing case. What unknown secrets could be hidden in the rouge?"
If he had money, Yin Xing would like to buy a box for Xuan Yizheng as a gift. She would probably like it.
"Because Liu Ci Yanming's beauty red rouge contains cochineal insects fed with human blood. This insect was originally a tribute to the imperial palace and is extremely difficult to cultivate. It is a natural animal dye and is more valuable than gold. It is very precious." Jiang Yun explained solemnly.
“…” Yin Xing immediately gave up the idea and quietly moved away from the exquisite rouge box, feeling that it was creepy to think about it carefully.
Jiang Yun closed the rouge box and analyzed, "We always thought those women were murdered by people who practiced disguise techniques, but we never imagined that the mastermind behind the scenes was far more vicious than we imagined, even taking advantage of their flesh and blood."
This is absolutely an extremely horrific and heinous case.
Yin Xing tried to calm the shock in his heart and thought aloud: "So Princess Xinyang is indeed related to the disappearance case, but why did she have her face peeled off?"
"We don't know yet, but Liu Ci and I have studied the habits of cochineal insects. We need to find a plant called Fire Palm, a tribute from foreign countries, because cochineal insects rely on it to grow and hatch their eggs. So as long as we find a large number of sites where this plant is grown and conduct a thorough search, we should be able to confirm the guilt of Princess Xinyang."
"Firepaw, what does it look like?"
Jiang Yun shook his head and said in annoyance, "I haven't seen this either, but Liu Ci found out from a book that it's a tall, flat green plant covered in thorns. It's named after its shape, which resembles a human palm pressed together. It prefers dry places with little rain."
When Yin Xing heard it, he felt that it sounded familiar. A vague picture appeared in his head, and his bright round eyes suddenly widened. Why does this thing sound so much like a cactus!
"Why, have you seen it?"
"Yeah, but I'm not too sure. But the capital is so big, where can I find Fire Palm?"
There are countless pavilions and towers in the capital. If someone deliberately kept them in a manor or villa, it would probably be difficult to find them.
Jiang Yun held his sword and said seriously, "For now, we can only check the private gardens of Princess Xinyang. I think there will be some clues."
It is still unknown whether Princess Xinyang conspired with her mother, the eldest princess, in this matter. If royal relatives get involved, things will become extremely difficult.
Yin Xing looked at Jiang Yun, thinking about Xuan Yizheng's instructions in his head, and didn't know whether he should get involved.
"Now that you know it's Princess Xinyang who's doing harm to Princess Zhanghua, what are you going to do next?"
"I need to tell Princess Zhang Hua to be more careful first. Everything else will have to wait for a response."
Not long ago, Yin Xing promised Xuan Yizheng not to interfere in the affairs of these princesses and princesses. Now it is not appropriate for him to act on his own with Jiang Yun.
Seeing that Yin Xing had no intention of taking a piece, Jiang Yun did not say anything more. He just comforted her, "Okay, you should be more open-minded about Princess Zhang Hua's marriage."
It is not easy for women to get married, let alone for a woman of Princess Zhanghua's status. The interests of all parties involved in the marriage are not simple at all.
In fact, Jiang Yun always felt that Yin Xing might have been deceived by Princess Zhang Hua, but the difference in their status was so great that Yin Xing had no choice.
Therefore, Jiang Yun did not specifically remind him. After all, not everyone can bear the cruelty of the truth.
After she finished speaking, Jiang Yun left the hall. Yin Xing looked at her free and easy figure, feeling a little envious.
By the way, if I could attend the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet for my meritorious service, I would be able to see Xuan Yizheng.
However, Yin Xing remembered that everyone thought the emperor would announce his marriage at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, and suddenly he didn't want to join in the fun.
Seeing that he felt more distressed the more he thought about it alone, Yin Xing left the Dali Temple early and took Xiaoguai to stroll around the market alone, his eyes passing over the flowers and plants.
Since cactus is not a native plant of the dynasty, it can only be transplanted and brought into the capital.
"Young master, come and pick some golden osmanthus." A woman selling flowers came forward and called out eagerly.
"No, I want to know if there is any Fire Palm sold in the capital?" Yin Xing stopped and asked.
The woman fiddled with the branches with her fingertips, looking lost. She shook her head and replied, "The Fire Palm is a foreign plant and is not favored by the people of the dynasty. Besides, its flowering period is usually from March to May, and rarely extends into autumn. Why don't you try something else, young master?"
Upon hearing this, Yin Xing was somewhat surprised that cacti could actually bloom. He secretly sighed that he had seen too little. Looking at the many branches of flowers before him, he missed Xuan Yizhen a little. He quickly shifted his focus and replied in a muffled voice, "Forget it, I just wanted to ask Huo Zhang."
Yin Xing was about to go somewhere else when the woman, carrying a basket of flowers, called out, "Young Master, if you really want to buy Fire Palms, there are actually flower gardens and manors in the capital that grow Fire Palms, but they probably won't sell them, so you probably won't find any in this flower market."
"Which flower garden can I visit?"
"That place is obviously a nobleman's manor, heavily guarded by retainers. I only just happened to catch a glimpse of the large, brilliant golden blossoms of the Fire Palm during its blooming season, and only then did I learn that someone in the capital cultivates Fire Palm. Young Master, it's best not to take any risks."
After hearing this, Yin Xing felt more and more that this was the place he was looking for!
After asking for the location, Yin Xing took out four copper coins from his sleeve and said in thanks, "Thank you very much. I hope your flowers will sell well!"
The woman looked at the four copper coins in her palm, then at the young man who left in a hurry. The smile on her simple face faded, and her figure disappeared into the flower shop.
As the sun set, somewhere outside the capital, Jiang Yun used his scabbard to push aside the branches of a tree, secretly observing the guards passing by. He lowered his voice and said, "This place is very hidden, and it's not registered as private land by Princess Xinyang. How did you find it?"
Yin Xing covered his face, blinked his bright round eyes, and whispered, "I heard about the Fire Palm from a kind woman at the Flower Market earlier."
"To inquire, so you didn't spend any money?" Jiang Yun felt a little distressed when he thought about the salary he had earned from gathering information.
"I spent four copper coins." Yin Xing answered seriously.
Jiang Yun was speechless, wondering how she could make a mere four copper coins sound like a sky-high price.
Back then, Yin Xing hadn't hesitated at all about the 1,000 taels of silver. Jiang Yun asked curiously, "Are you very poor?"
Generally speaking, as a noble son of the Marquis of Xizhou, Yin Xing was chosen by Princess Zhanghua and given a golden sign. It was said that he was rewarded by the emperor a while ago. Logically speaking, such a person has nothing to do with poverty.
Yin Xing nodded and answered truthfully, "I'm very poor. I withdrew five months' salary in advance to pay off my debts. Now I have less than a hundred copper coins left. I'm afraid it's not even enough to reward the clerks for their help in the next three months."
"Didn't Princess Zhang Hua give you some extra money?" Jiang Yun asked, trying his best to choose his words.
"I already rely a lot on Princess Zhang Hua for my daily food, clothing, housing and transportation. I feel embarrassed to do anything else." As he spoke, Yin Xing looked at another group of guards passing by, secretly noting down their number.
When Jiang Yun heard Yin Xing say this, he suddenly didn't know whether to sympathize with her or admire her.
The capital was the richest and most prosperous place in the dynasty. It was common for the petty officials in the Dali Temple to ask for rewards. Although Jiang Yun was dissatisfied, he was used to it.
But it is really unimaginable that Jiang Yun could survive for several months with only a hundred copper coins.
"Last time the emperor commended you for handling the accident that happened on the third princess' boat, didn't he give you a reward?" Jiang Yun broke off a branch with his fingertips and secretly memorized the length and number of times the guards had to be replaced during patrols.
Yin Xing counted the money on his fingers and said frankly, "The emperor did give me a beautiful sword, but no silver."
Jiang Yun was silent, not knowing how to enlighten her, so he could only end the awkward topic silently.
Soon, the sky was dyed with thick ink, silently swallowing the blood-red afterglow in the sky, a confrontation between cold and warm colors.
"There have been three groups of people in the past half hour, each with more than ten people. There may be even more guards inside. Do you really want to go alone?"
"You're still here. If I don't come out within a cup of tea, go to the Dali Temple and ask for help immediately."
Yin Xing watched Jiang Yun about to stand up and hesitated, "How can we judge in just a cup of tea?"
Hearing the voice, Jiang Yun froze and suddenly felt that he had found the wrong person. This Yin Xing switched between being reliable and unreliable with ease, which really made people curious about how she grew up safely in a wealthy family while hiding her identity!
Jiang Yun looked deeply into Yin Xing's eyes, which were filled with sincere questioning. In the end, he explained with a kind heart, "It takes you about a cup of tea to count ten to one hundred."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yun's figure quickly moved in the night and disappeared from sight in a moment.
Yin Xing was dumbfounded and sighed that being as light as a swallow was actually a true description!
Jiang Yun climbed over the outer wall, passed through layers of doorways, jumped over the roof tiles, and quietly sneaked into the dark interior. He plunged his sword into the ground, only to find that it was not bricks or stones, but soft soil.
In the darkness, all he could see were flower gardens covered with tiled roofs, with countless fire palms standing in between. In the gloom, small cold thorns pierced into the back of Jiang Yun's hand, and blood dripped.
Jiang Yun frowned, held his breath, and didn't make a sound.
Suddenly, Jiang Yun heard some noise, raised his eyes and carefully looked for a place to stay, moved his body to avoid the patrolling figures in the shed, and suddenly caught a glimpse of densely packed white-gray insects between the fire palms. They were moving in the direction of the dripping blood, and he couldn't help being horrified.
In the darkness, Yin Xing concentrated silently and counted to one thousand, his eyes nervously watching the figure moving in a dangerous manner with the patrolling guards, his heart hanging for Jiang Yun!
Jiang Yun quietly leaped over to his side, his face covered in sweat, his breathing unsteady, and his expression pale as he cursed in a low voice, "You bunch of beasts! I've found a large number of fire palms and cochineal insects. Now I need to go back to the Dali Temple to ask for an order to seal off this place. You go back and rest, and wait for good news."
Even Jiang Yun found the scene difficult to bear, and Yin Xing was probably even more unable to remain calm, so he sent her away to avoid being haunted by nightmares.
Yin Xing nodded, without saying anything more to waste time. He looked back at the manor in the night, feeling it was particularly eerie and terrifying.
However, when Yin Xing returned to the courtyard, he wrote a letter to Xuan Yizheng early, explaining clearly the matter of searching for the Fire Palm Cochineal Insect, and especially reminding him to be careful of the terrifying Princess Xinyang.
Late at night, Yin Xing fell asleep in a daze, secretly thanking herself that Xuan Yi really liked to use flowers and herbs to make cosmetics, otherwise she would definitely feel even more disgusted.
I guess no one can accept that the rouge we usually apply on our cheeks and lips is actually made from human blood. It's creepy.
The night was deep, and the candlelight in the courtyard was bright. Xuan Yizhen sat in front of the embroidery frame, unfolding the letter with his fingertips and reading it. He pursed his thin lips, but a faint smile escaped from his eyes. He murmured, "You like to help others so much, there's really nothing I can do about it."
After he finished speaking, Xuan Yizheng folded the letter and put it aside. He used his fingertips to thread his black hair through the needle and continued to embroider the picture, his expression becoming cold and silent.
Seeing this, the female official Chunli said nothing more. She tilted her head to look at the gradually full moon outside the window, thinking that someone might not have a peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival this year.
The next day, Yin Xing rode his horse early in the morning to rush to the Dali Temple to inquire about what happened last night.
But Yin Xing didn't expect that he would hear a lot of comments from passers-by on the street first.
"The hundreds of officers and soldiers dispatched by the Dali Temple last night are said to have apprehended the hideout of a gang of missing persons that has been rampant recently."
"I never thought a missing persons gang would show up in the capital. They have absolutely no respect for the law!"
"Not only that, but it's said that those women were killed to make flower mud to feed cochineal insects. That mud is a tribute to the royal family and is also the signature brand of Quelou Rouge, Beauty Red. This is clearly the royal family taking human life lightly!"
Yin Xing listened to the excited words of the crowd and almost thought they had witnessed it with their own eyes, so he did not stop.
When Yin Xing entered the Dali Temple, he saw that the officials were busy with their work in a hurry, and even the minor clerks were more diligent than each other, so it was difficult to find anyone to question.
But when Yin Xing passed through the corridor, he found the attendant official waiting in the hall and asked in confusion, "What's the matter?"
"Congratulations, Lord Xiao Yin. His Majesty has granted you permission to attend the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet. Please make preparations early." The accompanying official responded politely.
"Why does Your Majesty want to invite me to a banquet?" Yin Xing looked at the accompanying officials suspiciously and asked with confusion in his eyes.
Recently, every time Yin Xing submitted a marriage proposal, there was no response. Was the emperor so annoyed that he wanted to hit himself on the head?!
The attendant official cleared his throat and said, "Your Excellency, Xiao Yin, you may not be aware that Constable Jiang submitted a letter to the Supreme Court Minister praising your tireless efforts in the missing persons case. Therefore, His Majesty received this commendation this morning upon learning of it."
Hearing this, Yin Xing was delighted. He had never expected Jiang Yun to keep his word. He then asked, "How did the investigation into the missing person go last night?"
After he finished speaking, the attendant official did not respond directly, but instead whispered, "Everyone in that manor has confessed their crimes. Now that the royal family is involved, His Majesty is furious. Princess Xinyang is likely to face great consequences."
After saying this, the accompanying officials took their leave.
Yin Xing sat at the desk in a daze, flipping through the Mid-Autumn Festival invitation letter in his palm. He was happy but also felt it was a bit strange.
If Princess Xinyang was the mastermind behind the missing persons gang, why would her face be peeled off?
It's impossible that the gangs supported by Princess Xinyang don't know Princess Xinyang at all.
It's too absurd, and there's an inexplicable weirdness to it.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yun and Liu Ci arrived at the main warehouse. Yin Xing asked curiously, "Have they caught the disguise gang?"
"No, the staff in that manor are only responsible for feeding and hatching cochineal eggs, and then developing the rouge in the Magpie Tower." Jiang Yun said, stroking the gauze on the back of his hand with his fingertips. His eyes fell on the documents on Yin Xing's desk and he teased, "Why, are you looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet now?"
Yin Xing's face turned red and he didn't want to respond. He turned to look at Liu Ci. This woman looked quiet and gentle. If Jiang Yun hadn't said that she was an autopsy coroner, it would be hard to imagine.
Liu Ci met his gaze and said, "Master Xiao Yin, isn't it worth celebrating that the missing person case has been solved?"
"No, I just find it a little strange. The rouge and the disguise seem to be part of the missing case, but they also seem to be two different things. However, Princess Xinyang cannot escape the blame at the moment, so I think she will confess." Yin Xing responded thoughtfully.
Jiang Yun looked at Liu Ci meaningfully and said casually, "Yes, the disguise seems to have been intentionally erased. However, piles of corpses were dug up in the manor, and the guards also identified Princess Xinyang. With all the evidence, Princess Xinyang can't escape the blame no matter how much she tries to argue."
In fact, Jiang Yun suspected that this case was not only about Princess Xinyang, but perhaps also involved other members of the royal family. However, if the Dali Temple raised doubts, Princess Xinyang might shirk responsibility and escape.
That's why Jiang Yun decided to let Princess Xinyang experience the pain of being in dire straits first, at least to get justice for those who died.
Perhaps this goes against the original intention, but Jiang Yun will never regret it.
Just as Jiang Yun's face darkened, he suddenly felt his palm soften. He turned his head and saw Liu Ci gently holding his hand. His expression softened a little, "What's wrong?"
Liu Ci's eyes fell on the blood oozing from the gauze on the back of Jiang Yun's hand, and he said seriously: "Don't use too much force, otherwise the wound will be difficult to heal."
Jiang Yun looked at Liu Ci's frowning face with concern and couldn't help but chuckle.
At this moment, Yin Xing blinked her eyes at the two people's clasped hands, then silently looked away, wondering if all the women in the dynasty were so close?!
The sun was shining brightly outside the window. Yin Xing's mouth curled up, feeling a little happy to see Xuan Yizheng.
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, at nightfall, carriages and horses gathered outside the palace gate, and ministers waited in turn for inspection before entering the palace for the banquet.
Yin Xing took a shower, changed clothes and lined up early. He looked at the towering palace gate and the majestic palace in between with a bright smile on his face.
But when the bright moon appeared in the sky, Yin Xing was still stupidly standing outside the palace gate, and suddenly he couldn't laugh anymore.
Seeing that the royal nobles' carriages and horses entered the palace gate unhindered, and the young masters of the aristocratic families entered without any inspection, finally even the important officials of the third rank and above who brought their wives and families entered the palace gate one after another.
Yin Xing realized that it was useless to come early, and identity still had to be considered.
As more and more people were looking at him teasingly, it became difficult for Yin Xing to ignore them.
At this time, another carriage came. Yin Xing skillfully guessed that it must be another royal relative and was not surprised at all.
However, Yin Xing did not expect that the central palace gate, which had been closed, would slowly open, and he could hear the voices of officials.
"Your Majesty truly loves Princess Zhanghua. Apart from the Emperor, the only person who enters this palace is the Crown Prince."
"Yes, Princess Zhanghua is the only bloodline between Your Majesty and Empress Wanqi. This is naturally a status that other princesses cannot achieve."
"However, Princess Zhanghua rarely attends the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet in previous years. I think this will comfort your Majesty, who has been troubled by recent government affairs."
When Yin Xing heard that it was Xuan Yizheng's carriage, he stuck his head out to look, but only saw a long team driving in, and his eyes dimmed slightly.
After a long time, Yin Xing finally entered the palace gate, but he did not accompany the officials. Instead, he was led to another palace road by the eunuchs.
Turning from the palace road into a garden, the candlelight illuminated a bright yellow figure. Yin Xing watched the eunuchs retreat vigilantly, thinking that no one in the palace except the emperor could wear the dragon robe.
"I am really surprised that you have submitted so many marriage proposals to me." The voice was deep and gentle. The tall figure turned slightly and the emperor cast his gaze over.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant pays his respects." Yin Xing was stunned for a moment, then quickly knelt down and saluted, thinking that this man had some similarities in temperament to Xuan Yizheng.
The emperor raised his hand and said amiably, "Stand up. Your courage isn't as strong as your marriage proposal. So, how are you going to compete with the young master of the Xiahou family at tonight's banquet?"
Yin Xing stood up, somewhat surprised by the emperor's kindness. Because he and Xuan Yizhen had a similar aura, he felt a sense of intimacy. He said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to do anything for Princess Zhanghua."
"Anything, seriously?"
"Yes, that's absolutely true."
The emperor looked at Yin Xing, who made no secret of his feelings, and said happily, "Then I will give you a chance to try, how about it?"
Yin Xing nodded, his eyes full of joy as he replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The night caressed the branches in the garden, making a rustling sound. Music gradually rose from the banquet on the palace platform. Officials and royal family members gathered. It seemed as if the horrific murder caused by Princess Xinyang had never happened. The whole place was festive and peaceful.
Jiang Zhengming, the Dali Temple Minister, frowned when he noticed that Yin Xing's table was empty.
Most of the princesses and princes were calm at the table. The eldest princess was still under house arrest, and Princess Xinyang was awaiting investigation. Everyone had different thoughts, but most of them were indifferent.
The third princess held the wine cup with her fingertips and looked at the second princess with a cold expression. She turned her head and looked at the officials' table, but did not see Yin Xing. She thought that he finally understood the limits, otherwise she would have been humiliating herself.
At this time, Xuan Yizheng, who was sitting at the top, had beautiful eyes and a natural expression. She fiddled with the red silk ribbon on her wrist with her fingertips, waiting for the decision tonight.
"His Majesty has arrived!" With a loud shout, everyone stopped what they were doing.
"Your humble servant pays respect to His Majesty!"
The emperor took his seat on the high platform, his gaze swept over the crowd, and he said with a gentle smile, "Gentlemen, please stand. There is no need to be so formal on such a festive occasion."
Soon, everyone sat down again, palace music started, dancers danced gracefully, and palace maids brought in fine wine and delicious food.
Xiahou Shao was puzzled when he saw the emperor toasting with his ministers but not mentioning marriage.
Doesn’t the emperor approve of this marriage?
The more lively and noisy the atmosphere became, the more restless and anxious he became. Xiahou Shao raised his glass and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, on this festive occasion, I, on behalf of the Xiahou family, express my admiration and respect for you. I have specially prepared a tiger beast as a token of my respect."
As soon as he finished speaking, the tiger in the cage let out a deafening roar, which made people feel terrified.
The emperor stopped drinking and said with a smile, "Very good. Tonight I also want to test whether the young master of the Xiahou family is brave and fearless. Only then can he be a good match for Princess Zhanghua's marriage. Come!"
After he finished speaking, everyone at the banquet looked around. Xuan Yizhen raised his eyes, but did not look at Xiahou Shao. Instead, he looked at the thin figure led into the banquet by the eunuch. Then he met the excited gaze and knew that what would happen tonight was a foregone conclusion.
It seems that there is finally some effect. Xuan Yizheng restrained herself and looked away, lowering her beautiful eyes, not wanting to let her efforts go to waste.
But Xuan Yizheng could still sense that gaze as scorching as the sun, seeking a response from him, just like a poor puppy waiting for the comfort of its master's command. This feeling was particularly unbearable, his skin was hot, his bones ached, yet mixed with an indescribable pleasure.
Yin Xing followed and stepped into the high-platform banquet. The lights were bright and the crowd was dense. He felt afraid, but he could feel the silent gaze among the many eyes, which was like an invisible and gentle force guiding his movements like a silk thread.
So Yin Xing bravely raised his eyes and looked straight at that place, and found Xuan Yizheng on the high platform. A smile suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he suddenly didn't feel so nervous.
However, Xuan Yizheng seemed to just glance casually, her beautiful eyes turned away, no longer looking, sitting quietly there, as if she was indifferent, as if she had not noticed at all.
Yin Xing was puzzled and blinked at Xuan Yizheng, who was dressed in gorgeous and elegant clothes, feeling a little puzzled.
Is it true that Xuan Yi’s eyesight is not very good?
But Yin Xing clearly felt a familiar gaze just now, it couldn't be an illusion.
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