Chapter 57 He lowered his head and kissed her.
To Jiang Zhi's surprise, it wasn't the Crown Prince's invitation that arrived, but rather an imperial decree directly from the Empress.
This made it impossible for her to refuse, even if she wanted to use physical discomfort as an excuse.
Suddenly, he lost all interest in going out to look at the shops and became listless.
Before dawn the next day, Qingxing was already busy dressing her up and changing her clothes.
They didn't leave until more than an hour later.
The palace gates were already packed with people.
Among the people Jiang Zhi could name were Li Jinyan, the second legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Li; Zhao Liangyan, the second legitimate daughter of the Duke of Rongguo; Cui Yubing, the legitimate daughter of the Cui family of Qinghe; and several other young ladies from various families with similar family backgrounds to hers.
Compared to them, my status is the lowest.
Even the young ladies of similar stature had very prominent maternal families, unlike her who lost her mother at a young age and whose maternal families had fallen into decline.
Therefore, although Jiang Zhengting told her to perform well before leaving, she knew that she was not qualified at all.
What I fear most is that Xiao Xuanyou's temperament is unpredictable; if someone with such a temperament were to make me his concubine, that would be disastrous.
The group disembarked from the carriage at the palace gate and were led to Kunning Palace by the head maid of the Empress's palace.
"Please wait here for a moment, everyone. Her Majesty the Empress is still changing her clothes and will be here shortly."
Everyone immediately and respectfully agreed.
Jiang Zhi stood with her head down in the most secluded corner.
Soon she felt a tight grip on her arm. Before she could react, her lips were covered by a pair of large hands, and her body involuntarily fell backward, being pulled into the side hall behind her.
!!
Jiang Zhi never expected that attending a banquet in the palace would lead to a sneak attack. She was both nervous and flustered, and struggled to attract the attention of others.
But she was already standing at the back, and given the suddenness of the event, no one noticed that someone was missing from the hall.
"Miss Jiang, it's me." A familiar, chilling voice rang in her ears. Jiang Zhi's eyes widened, and when she saw Xiao Xuanyou's face, her panic was replaced by horror.
He released his hand from her lips, and Jiang Zhi suppressed her rapid heartbeat. She forgot to curtsy and asked him in surprise, "What does Your Highness mean by this?"
Xiao Xuanyou was dressed in a bright yellow robe with gold-embroidered python patterns, with black hair and a jade crown. His pupils were extremely dark, and his lowered eyes exuded an air of majesty, as if he was born to look down upon all living beings.
He didn't answer Jiang Zhi's question, but instead put his arm around her waist and helped her sit on the rosewood chair. Then he bent down and half-squatted in front of her.
Jiang Zhi was so frightened that she hurriedly got up, but Xiao Xuanyou pressed her back down.
"Your foot is injured. Let me see how it is."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I have been using the Vitality Purple Gold Powder that you bestowed upon me every day, and I am now much better."
On the day she was injured, Xiao Xuanyou had his guards bring her medicine. The things in the palace were indeed extraordinary. After applying it, the pain was greatly reduced, and the injury healed in a few days.
But Xiao Xuanyou stubbornly stretched out his hand, saying, "I'll only feel at ease if you let me see it."
“Your Highness, this is not in accordance with etiquette.” Jiang Zhi tried to get up and move away, but he grabbed her ankle and deftly took off her shoes and socks.
Jiang Zhi's face immediately turned bright red, embarrassed and at a loss for what to do.
The calloused fingertips gently touched the ankle, inch by inch, sending a tingling, itchy sensation from the calf throughout the body.
It was as if what was in Xiao Xuanyou's palm at that moment was not a woman's beautiful foot, but a unique work of art.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but recall her time at Qifeng Tower in her previous life.
Although Xiao Xuanyou was controlling, he was generous and meticulous, and he paid great attention to her feelings in that kind of thing.
His mark was etched on every inch of her body, making her tremble uncontrollably from the depths of her soul.
This feeling terrified her, as if she was no longer in control of her own body, and that her joys and sorrows were being manipulated by the person in front of her, with nowhere to escape.
That feeling is back now.
“Your Highness, this is in the Empress’s side palace. Aren’t you afraid of being seen?” Jiang Zhi couldn’t help but shout in a trembling voice.
Xiao Xuanyou merely glanced at her briefly before withdrawing his hand.
"It looks fine to the touch, but since the bone is broken, you still need to rest and avoid further injury, otherwise it will definitely leave lasting effects." He said earnestly as he helped Jiang Zhi put her shoes and socks back on, and then picked up a damp cloth to wipe his hands.
Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but say, "So His Highness the Crown Prince can also treat injuries?"
Xiao Xuanyou raised an eyebrow. "There are undercurrents around me. The more I know, the more confident I will be. Miss Jiang seems to have some objections to this?"
"This humble woman dares not," Jiang Zhi said coldly.
Xiao Xuanyou then asked, "How are your injuries? Have they left any scars?"
Jiang Zhi immediately became wary, fearing that he would once again disregard her and start taking off her clothes, so she quickly got up and backed away, saying, "It's all done."
Seeing her avoid him like a frightened rabbit, Xiao Xuanyou stepped forward and forced her to sit down in a chair, trapping her in a confined position. "It seems that from the very beginning, Miss Jiang has been very resistant to me?"
Jiang Zhi looked at him: "Your Highness, this is Kunning Palace. Is this the behavior of a crown prince, humiliating the daughter of a loyal minister?"
"Insult?" Xiao Xuanyou laughed. "Miss Jiang is mistaken."
His dark phoenix eyes stared at her, his long, slender fingers caressing her chin. To Jiang Zhi's astonishment and disbelief, he lowered his head and kissed her from top to bottom.
Jiang Zhi's mind went blank for a moment, and she froze in her chair.
Xiao Xuanyou's lips were moist and soft, as if he were savoring some delicacy, pecking at them gently. But the way his large hand gripped her chin was incredibly forceful, leaving her no room to escape.
Jiang Zhi realized what was happening and instinctively reached out to slap him in the face.
Xiao Xuanyou seemed to have anticipated her move and grabbed her wrist with his other hand.
The cicada in the dream was just like that; the first time he kissed her, she slapped him hard.
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