Chapter 10: Even holding hands wasn't the most intimate thing they did...
As the sunlight gradually turned golden, dusk approached. The clear lake water flowed gently, and the reflections of men and women on the shore were blurred and ambiguous.
Beneath the high palace walls, the man stood with his back to the lake, his tall figure completely enveloping the petite woman in his arms. If it weren't for the pair of embroidered shoes on the muddy ground and the corner of his cloak peeking out from under his robe, one would almost think he was alone.
At this moment, he had one arm around her waist and the other covering her face, their posture even more intimate and ambiguous than the last time on the mountain road.
Jiang Yunjin quickly withdrew his hand, saying, "I'm sorry."
Cui Yilu said considerately, "In urgent situations, one must act expediently. I know that my cousin had no choice but to do this. Since it was a last resort, it does not count as overstepping the proper boundaries between men and women."
She looked up at his expression, her smile gleaming in the sunlight, and Jiang Yunjin immediately looked away.
Not only that, he also leaned back slightly to avoid the black hair that brushed against his chin as she looked up, whether it was because it tickled him or because it was too intimate.
Recalling what had just happened in the room, Cui Yiluo stopped smiling: "Cousin, is the 'master' that Eunuch Xu mentioned Princess Hejia?"
Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips slightly, "I don't know, but it's not He Jia."
Cui Yilu frowned slightly. It wasn't He Jia; there weren't many people who could plant someone near He Jia. That person had made repeated moves, almost to the point of no return, and had even investigated her thoroughly beforehand.
Cui Yiluo glanced at Jiang Yunjin secretly. She could use him to protect her life, but he probably wouldn't tell her the truth behind it all. She could only rely on herself.
Jiang Yunjin spoke up, interrupting her thoughts: "This place is not safe to stay any longer. I will have someone escort you back to your residence."
Cui Yiluo rolled her eyes. "But my aunt told me to wait for her to come back..."
"I will tell my aunt."
Cui Yilu frowned, looking troubled: "But if we do this, won't others think that my cousin is so worried about my health that he personally sent someone to escort me back to the mansion?"
Jiang Yunjin glanced at her foot. "I'm the one who injured your script, so I'll take responsibility. I'll also inform your aunt discreetly, so don't worry."
"It's all about so-called propriety and righteousness," Cui Yilu thought to herself with a sneer.
"I was worried about ruining my cousin's reputation, but since he said so, I have no worries and will listen to him completely."
Her voice was sweet and gentle. As she spoke, her hand moved lightly along the back of his hand. Previously, only her thumb and forefinger had touched the skin of his wrist, but now she held his entire hand in hers.
Cui Yiluo's knuckles wrapped around his fingers, her fingertips pressing against his palm, and he could clearly feel his hand instantly become stiff and hot.
"you……"
"How can I get back to the manor if my cousin doesn't take me back to my room first?" She blinked innocently. "Cousin, please don't drop me."
Jiang Yunjin remained silent, his jawline taut, forming sharp, flowing lines.
She felt the hand holding her tighten around her waist, and he led her along the wall, then climbed back through the window.
Almost as soon as he regained his footing, he immediately let go of her and stood three steps away from her.
Cui Yiluo smiled slightly: "Thank you, cousin."
Jiang Yunjin gave a soft "hmm," but then she said, "Cousin, don't worry. Yiluo remembers everything you said today. You were just acting out of brotherly affection."
He was referring, of course, to the rule that boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven.
It seems strangely ironic now. He had just scolded her for overstepping her bounds and told her to behave properly because she wanted to hold his hand, but not long after, he let her hold his hand. In fact, holding hands wasn't even the most intimate thing they had done just now.
Jiang Yunjin pressed his burning palms against his thighs, his face grim, trying his best to focus on the important matter at hand.
"Let's go, but there's no guarantee they won't turn back."
Having said that, Cui Yiluo didn't elaborate further. She nodded and was about to follow when she suddenly remembered something: "Wait."
Jiang Yunjin turned around and saw her walk quickly to the low mahogany table, hold the folded black outer robe on her arm, then put on her cloak and followed.
"Cousin, we can go now."
"Um."
Jiang Yunjin was clearly very familiar with the layout of the palace, leading her through secluded shortcuts, with high walls and lush trees on both sides, and they didn't encounter a single person along the way.
Cui Yiluo lagged half a step behind him, her head slightly lowered in deep thought.
I almost forgot about Yuan Ling.
She tentatively asked, "Cousin, I saw you up ahead. Did you come with Commander Yuan?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunjin glanced at her side slightly and asked, "You know him?"
It seems he doesn't know about Baoyue Pavilion.
Cui Yiluo remained noncommittal: "Commander Yuan is decisive and resourceful, deeply trusted by His Majesty, and has a illustrious reputation."
Jiang Yunjin glanced around and simply hummed in response, seemingly unconcerned about what Cui Yiluo had said.
Furthermore, he adheres to the proper etiquette of a gentleman and would never speak ill of others behind their backs, even if Cui Yiluo's words were words of praise.
However, judging from his reaction, Yuan Ling not only did not tell him about Baoyue Pavilion, but they were also not very familiar with each other.
Cui Yiluo breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Jiang Yunjin remained silent. The two walked for a while longer, and suddenly saw a majestic palace gate in the distance, with armored guards patrolling in formation, the palace heavily guarded.
Jiang Yunjin was meticulous in his work; he had arranged for carriages and horses in advance and even sent people to escort him.
On her way back to the manor, Cui Yilu reviewed what had just happened, ruling out Jiang Zhaoyue and Yang Jingling, and came up with a few suspects in mind.
-
The moonlight was cool and clear. The octagonal sandalwood palace lanterns hanging from the eaves of the magnificent palace swayed gently in the breeze. The palace was silent, and the air seemed to stand still. Beside the bright candlelight, a beautiful woman in luxurious attire leaned against a couch. A palace maid gently fanned her, but the woman's brows were tightly furrowed, and she rubbed her temples with the hand supporting her head.
The woman slowly opened her lips, her voice deep and calm: "How is Ying'er?"
"Does Your Highness not understand the princess's temperament? Although the princess is making a big fuss now, she will understand Your Highness's good intentions in loving her daughter in a few days, and won't she come to you to apologize immediately?"
Consort Qiong slightly opened her phoenix eyes and looked at the palace servants.
The palace maid's hand trembled as she fanned herself, and she quickly said, "Yingxue means that the princess will surely understand Her Highness's kindness towards her."
Consort Qiong chuckled lightly: "It was just to tell her not to associate with that girl from the Cui family, and she threw such a tantrum. It seems I've been too lenient with her all this time. Yingxue, tomorrow morning, take the aunt from the Imperial Ceremonial Bureau to the Princess's palace. The Princess is about to get engaged, so it's time for her to settle down."
Yingxue responded.
"Tomorrow, take some men to the storeroom and select the thousand-year-old ginseng that His Majesty bestowed last time, along with some other precious tonics, and send them to the Xie residence along with that peony hairpin with kingfisher feather inlay."
Yingxue agreed, "Does Your Highness agree to the eldest young master's request?"
Consort Qiong sneered, "Can we not agree to him? If we agree, there's still a chance to keep it a secret. If we don't agree, the marriage alliance between the Chu and Xie families will definitely be ruined."
As she spoke, a hint of anger appeared between the woman's brows, and her tone unconsciously became heavier: "How could my Chu family raise such a good-for-nothing who doesn't know his place!"
Yingxue comforted her, "Your Highness, don't worry. Didn't the eldest young master just promise you that he would break off his relationship with that concubine's daughter?"
"Do you think that's possible? With his philandering nature, he even went after his fiancée's half-sister. Would he really listen to me obediently? It seems I need to urge His Majesty to arrange the marriage as soon as possible. Once the marriage is done, I'll have less to worry about."
"What marriage?"
The deep male voice coming from the doorway startled both the master and servant.
Almost instantly, Consort Qiong put on a charming smile and gracefully stepped forward to pay her respects.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
The emperor was over forty, but he did not look old. He walked with a steady gait and was full of strength. With a stretch of his long arm, he embraced the woman's slender waist.
Consort Qiong subtly gave Yingxue a look that betrayed her guilt, and then calmly sat down on the couch with the Emperor.
The emperor gently kneaded Consort Qiong's waist and casually asked, "What were you talking about earlier? Was it for Ke'er?"
Consort Qiong chuckled, “You really can’t hide it from His Majesty, can you? Just now, Ke’er came to the palace and asked me to ask His Majesty to set a wedding date for them. In my opinion, Ke’er was heartbroken when Miss Xie accidentally fell into the water today, which is why he can’t wait to bring her back to his mansion.”
The Emperor hummed in agreement. "How is the investigation into Miss Xie's fall into the water today, my beloved consort?"
Consort Qiong showed some self-reproach: "It was my fault for not disciplining my servants properly. One of the palace maids on the boat lost her balance and accidentally knocked Miss Xie into the water. Your Majesty, please rest assured, I have already taken care of the matter."
Seeing her blame herself, the emperor comforted her tenderly: "How can this be your fault? If you were to manage everyone, wouldn't you exhaust my Qiong'er?"
Consort Qiong playfully slapped the Emperor's arm, saying, "Your Majesty is used to spoiling people. Now that I have the power to assist in managing the six palaces, I should strictly restrain myself."
The emperor smiled and stroked her hair. "I know you've always been strong-willed. By the way, I heard that the person who went into the water to save someone today was Madam Jiang's niece?"
Consort Qiong looked at the Emperor and met his usual gentle and loving gaze. He seemed to be asking a question casually.
"Yes, Miss Cui is brave and resolute. I'm just thinking about how to reward her. Does Your Majesty have any ideas?"
The emperor smiled helplessly: "How could I possibly understand a young woman's preferences? But Miss Cui took the initiative to go into the water to save someone, unafraid of getting hurt or not being able to look her best. Such a courageous and kind-hearted girl deserves to be rewarded."
"What does Your Majesty mean?"
“Let her go with us during the summer hunt in a few days. I’ve heard she’s from Ningzhou, so I suppose she’s never ridden a horse to hunt before.”
Consort Qiong leaned against the Emperor's chest and laughed, her bright face showing a hint of admiration for the man. "Your Majesty is truly kind and wise. I hadn't considered this aspect. For Miss Cui, gold and silver jewels are indeed not as precious as the experience of accompanying Your Majesty on a summer hunt. Tomorrow I will send someone to convey Your Majesty's favor."
The Emperor was pleased with her admiration and gentleness, and his smile deepened. "No need. I will have Jiang Shenzhi deliver the message after court tomorrow. There is no need for my beloved consort to send someone."
Consort Qiong's smile froze almost imperceptibly for a moment before she quickly concealed it, softly expressing her gratitude for the Emperor's thoughtfulness, her delicate hands reaching towards the Emperor's jade belt.
Night deepened.
-
The fog at dawn gradually dissipates as the sun rises higher, and the summer morning sunlight is not yet scorching, but rather carries a pleasant warmth.
Jiang Yunjin had just finished court and hadn't even stepped into the small courtyard where the air was filled with a faint fragrance when the conversation inside reached his ears on the breeze.
The woman's voice was clear and cold: "Has Yuan Ling's outer robe been starched and washed?"
"This maid has already given the instructions as you instructed, Miss. Commander Yuan's outer robe is made of newly produced silk satin from Jiangnan this year. It needs to be washed gently with warm water, otherwise the fabric will be damaged."
Cui Yilu gave a satisfied "hmm," her usually sweet voice now calm and clear, reaching the ears of the man outside the door:
"We can't delay seeing him. Once the clothes arrive, we must immediately set up a carriage and head to the Yuan residence."
A note from the author:
Cousin: [Question mark]
Next chapter will be published Thursday at 9 AM [heart]
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