Duan Lan’s smirk wavered a bit.
Lady Sun quickly managed the situation with a laugh, "Xin He should naturally be with me, after all, she is the daughter of Le Yuanhou, although Young Master Duan and Xin He have a marriage contract, it would be better to avoid unnecessary suspicion, wouldn’t it?"
Upon examining Xin He, who looked a bit stiff, Duan Lan conceded, "Yes."
Lady Sun then escorted Xin He into the horse carriage and departed.
As he observed the retreating carriage of Le Yuanhou, Duan Lan felt a subtle wave of change...
"Young Master, shall we depart?"
Duan Lan’s eyes dimmed slightly. Regardless of the change, he resolved not to let go so easily.
"Let’s go."
——
The horse carriage entered the palace’s gate and headed towards Jing’an Gate.
A long queue of horse-drawn carriages was stationed at Jing’an Gate. Upon arrival, everyone would disembark and walk the remaining distance, led by palace maids and eunuchs. The only exception was the carriage of Prime Minister Mu.
As Lady Sun and Xin He stepped down from their carriage, a respectful little eunuch greeted them, bowing, "The servant pays his respects to Lady Le Yuanhou."
Then he turned towards Xin He, but was momentarily lost for words. Lady Sun chuckled, "This is the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis’s family, Xin He."
The little eunuch realized immediately, this was the lost heiress of the Marquis who was just recently discovered among commoners?
The little eunuch hastily said, "The servant was shortsighted, please accept my respects, Lady Li!"
Now that Xin He has entered the Hou mansion, Le Yuanhou had her surname officially changed back to Li in the family records.
Xin He gave a slight nod.
The little eunuch glanced up at her, appraising her discreetly. He was inwardly impressed. Indeed, a daughter of a famous and noble family, even upon her first visit to the imposing Imperial Palace, doesn’t seem to be nervous or shy at all. She carries herself with an immense dignity.
The little eunuch guided them into the palace.
The occasion was the birthday feast of Concubine Ning. His Majesty, the Emperor, who adored her, had ordered a lavish banquet to be held in Jinghe Palace. The profusion of carriages and attendees all came to celebrate Concubine Ning’s birthday.
The palace was filled with crimson walls and yellow tiles, countless imperial buildings, grand and magnificent. The road was paved with the finest marble and dotted with rounded and shiny cobblestones. Scores of people strived to get in, drawn by the extravagant and imposing atmosphere.
Concubine Ning’s Jinghe Palace was even more luxurious, no wonder she was the Emperor’s favorite consort.
Despite all the flamboyance and opulence along the way, Xin He remained undisturbed. She was practiced at concealing her emotions, and having seen many wonders in her previous life, she wasn’t one to be easily amazed.
"There are many rules in the palace, just stay by my side, and don’t be too nervous when we pay our respects to the Imperial Concubine," Lady Sun murmured softly.
"Thank you, mother."
Lady Sun peered at Xin He’s composed demeanor, and found that she had been over-worried.
In the palace, Concubine Ning was lounging casually on a couch. Dressed in a double-layered, rose-red robe, adorned with gold and jeweled embroidery, she radiated a mesmerizing beauty while maintaining her nobility. She wore her hair in an elaborate, high bun, adorned with a pair of jade phoenix hairpins, encrusted with gemstones. Most arresting of all was the jasper silkworm phoenix hairpin, sparkling with golden light, which symbolized her status.
She held a naturally seductive demeanor that perfectly explained her favored status.
"Your servant pays her respects to Imperial Consort Guifei. May Consort Guifei live forever in peace!" Lady Sun led Xin He in, bowing formally.
Concubine Ning slightly curled her lips, her laughter captivating, "Rise. Is this girl the recently recovered daughter of Le Yuanhou?"
"Indeed, Lord Marquis specifically ordered me to accompany her here to celebrate Imperial Consort’s birthday," replied Lady Sun.
"Raise your head and let me have a look."
Upon her order, Xin He immediately raised her head, "Your servant pays respects to Imperial Consort."
The flash of surprise in Concubine Ning’s eyes the moment she saw Xin He’s face revealed her amazement. Then she chuckled, "She does have a pleasant appearance."
"Imperial Consort possesses natural beauty that is unparalleled, I dare not compare myself," replied Xin He confidently.
Lady Sun nodded approvingly.
Concubine Ning laughed again, "A sweet talker. Since it’s our first meeting, and you’ve caught my fondness, I’ll gift you a golden sparrow hairpin as a token."
As she spoke, a palace maid approached with an exquisite nanmu box and handed it to Xin He.
After expressing her gratitude, Imperial Consort dismissed them to enjoy the garden.
There were still people outside waiting for their turn to pay their respects.
Once she was outside, Lady Sun laughed, "I was worried something might go wrong initially, but it seems to be going well. Now that we’ve paid our respects to the Imperial Consort, you don’t have to be too formal for the banquet."
"Understood."
Just as Xin He responded, she saw Duan Lan watching her from a distance.
Lady Sun said, "Feel free to wander around here a bit. I’ll go over there to greet some other noble ladies."
The garden designated for the banquet was exceptionally expansive. With flowers blooming everywhere, it was strikingly attractive in the spring light.
Once Lady Sun had left, Duan Lan approached her, his face tinged with caution, "Xin He, are you mad at me?"
Xin He looked at him, her eyes slightly chilly. "I’ve always disliked being restricted. I thought you would understand this, having known me for this long."
Even though she didn’t articulate her thoughts, her message was loud and clear.
Duan Lan’s expression hardened somewhat. He licked his lips and began, "This marriage was decreed by His Majesty a long time ago. It’s just a twist of fate that..."
"But you had the chance to refuse."
After a prolonged silence, Duan Lan finally said in a deep voice, "Why would I want to refuse? Xin He, I told you not to give me another chance, otherwise, I wouldn’t let go easily. If God gives me this chance, I won’t abandon it so easily. Can’t I be selfish just this once?"
Xin He averted her gaze, her voice indifferent, "Your choice is your choice. My steadfastness is my steadfastness. If our paths diverge, then we won’t conspire together."
Her absolute and cutting words struck Duan Lan’s heart, causing him to wince in pain. He forced a bitter smile, "Is that so? What if I insist?"
Xin He looked at him but didn’t say anything more, only turned to leave.
Duan Lan clenched his fists within his sleeves, his smile tinged with bitterness. Perhaps they had arrived at this point because he was too greedy, or because she was too heartless?
Now that they had come this far, he decided to continue selfishly, just this one time.
Soon, nearly everyone who had come to the palace had paid their respects to Consort Guifei, and the banquet was about to begin. Even the Emperor himself showed up in person, all for the sake of celebrating the birthday of his beloved consort.
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