Chapter 36
Luo Sanrong thought she was hallucinating, until Li Yin came over and opened the door of the prison car, Luo Sanrong realized that this was not a dream.
Luo Sanrong threw herself into Li Yin's arms and cried loudly, as if she wanted to vent all the grievances she had suffered during this period.
Li Yin changed his usual attitude and was not impatient. He just patiently comforted Luo Sanrong until Luo Sanrong's mood calmed down.
Luo Sanrong thought Li Yin was planning to hijack the prison van, so she clutched his sleeves tightly with both hands. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her worry and anxiety turned into these slightly complaining words: "Your Highness, why are you always like this?"
Li Yin's heart softened. He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears that were about to fall from her eyes. With a firm and gentle look in his eyes, he lowered his head and said to Luo Sanrong, "Let's go back! We can go home now."
When Luo Sanrong heard this, it was as if a stone was thrown into his heart, disturbing his peace.
She asked softly, "Is it true?"
The voice was soft, yet with an imperceptible tremor, as if afraid of getting a positive answer, yet eager to know the truth.
She subconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes, her fingers turned slightly white, and her body leaned forward unconsciously.
Li Yin hugged her tightly, his voice low and firm, and said softly: "Everything is fine now."
After a long moment, Luo Sanrong's lips trembled slightly as she uttered a cry-like, almost whispering, "I'm afraid of being taken away like this."
Li Yin: "I'm also scared, afraid that I'm too late."
"You didn't keep your promise to me. I will punish you severely when we get to the East Palace."
Luo Sanrong: "Can I still go back to the East Palace? Didn't you say you'd be angry if you saw me?"
Li Yin lowered his eyes, his voice seemed to be covered with ice, but the ending tone was accompanied by an imperceptible tremor. "Even now, I get angry when I see you."
“Cough cough cough——”
Following the sound, I saw a tall figure emerging from the shadows of the trees. It was Weidao. He was leading two horses and said in an awkward voice, "We should leave."
Li Yin and Luo Sanrong let go of each other awkwardly. It was really awkward for two men to hug each other.
"Let's go!" Li Yin's voice was slightly stiff, and his fingers were slightly curled. Luo Sanrong was also startled. When he realized his current posture, he took a step back as if he was scalded.
"Your Highness, we only have two horses, maybe..." said Weidao.
"Let me and Eunuch Luo ride on the same horse!" Li Yin answered directly before Weidao finished speaking.
"Oh well."
Originally, Weidao wanted to ask Li Yin and Luo Sanrong to return to the palace first to report, and then he would find a solution. Unexpectedly, the picky Crown Prince was willing to ride on the same horse with the eunuch back to the capital. This was really a pleasant surprise!
——
Next to the pavilion by the lake, two people in simple clothes were fishing in the river.
The willows in late spring dyed half of the lake ripples green. A faded vermilion lacquer plaque hung on the pavilion at the end of the nine-curve corridor, and the words "Ting Lan" could be vaguely seen.
A few wild roses grew obliquely beside the bluestone steps, and their pink and white petals fell into the rippling waves.
The old man in the straw raincoat propped his fishing rod on the mottled stone railing, held the wine gourd between his fingers and slowly drank a sip of coarse rice wine.
The old man in the straw raincoat was none other than Prime Minister Ji Ke. He and Minister of War Zhao Wanyong had made an appointment to go fishing together here.
There were a few silver-scaled fish swimming in Ji Ke's bamboo basket, but Zhao Wanyong's bamboo basket was empty.
"Based on the current prince's temperament, the court will not be peaceful in the future." The person who spoke was the Minister of War Zhao Wanyong.
"If you look at the world with excessive desires, you will of course be dissatisfied with everything. Your Majesty was the same when he was the crown prince. He always wanted to reform the law, but now look at the results." Ji Ke raised his head, his gray beard trembling slightly with his tone, as if he was disdainful.
Zhao Wanyong: "Although the results are dismal, if you want to make changes, you must take risks."
Ji Ke said even more disdainfully: "This country belongs to the people. If the king really thinks of himself as the king of everyone, it would be a dangerous thing."
Zhao Wanyong remained silent, seemingly distracted. Suddenly, the float dipped and rose again. Excited, he stood up and pulled it up, only to find the hook empty. He jokingly said, "Really? I'm always so distracted by trying to understand the Prime Minister's words that I can't even focus on fishing."
Suddenly Ji Ke laughed, with wine stains on his beard, "This carp spirit is the most cunning, we have to wait for the float to sink and float three times..." Before he finished speaking, ripples appeared on the water surface, and it was a huge carp.
Ji Ke casually threw the carp into the bamboo basket and said to Zhao Wanyong seriously, "For the safety of the country, please lend me a hand, sir."
Zhao Wanyong: “?”
Ji Ke continued, "Sir, I am asking for your daughter's hand in marriage on behalf of my son."
Zhao Wanyong was already shocked by Ji Ke's words. After waiting for a long time, he stood up from his seat and clasped his fists: "My lord, please allow me to think about it. Although marriage is a serious matter and it is decided by parents and matchmakers, I still need to go home and ask Yan'er for her opinion. I apologize!"
Ji Ke smiled and said comfortingly: "What's there to be sorry about? But I'll be waiting for your good news!"
Zhao Wanyong forced a smile.
The setting sun stretched the two people's shadows very long, entwining them on the moss on the bluestone slabs.
The evening bells of a mountain temple rang in the distance, startling egrets from the reeds. They fluttered across the water, shattering the golden red color of the lake.
——
As the dusk deepened, leaden clouds hung heavy over the palace walls, and the copper bells on the eaves rang out in the evening breeze.
Li Yin's knuckles, which were tightly gripping the reins, were bluish-white, and his palms were rubbed sore by the rough cowhide rope. The jade belt around his waist had slipped to his hips at some point, and a corner of his moon-white undergarment was revealed from his half-open black outer robe, stained with grass debris and mud.
The two riders slowed down in front of the corner gate of the East Palace, and the sound of their horses' hooves making tired steps on the bluestone slabs.
The people in the Eastern Palace were almost driven crazy by their inability to find the Crown Prince, especially Eunuch Ma. So when he saw Li Yin appear in the Eastern Palace, Eunuch Ma trotted over to greet him, barely catching his breath as he anxiously said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, where did you go after causing such a mess in the palace? We can't find you."
At this moment, Eunuch Ma noticed Luo Sanrong and Wei Dao standing by. His expression didn't change much, and he simply asked according to the rules: "Well, what happened? Did you rescue Eunuch Luo? And Your Highness, your body is not injured, right?"
A series of questions made Li Yin not know which one to answer, so he simply pinched Ma Gonggong's mouth to stop him from speaking.
"Shhh"
Luo Sanrong stood aside, drowsy. Wei Dao, standing beside him, saw his appearance and said to Li Yin, "Then we will leave first, Your Highness!"
According to the rules, eunuchs who are not on night duty are not allowed to stay overnight in the Eastern Palace, so they must return to the Eunuchs' Palace to rest. Moreover, at this sensitive time, they really cannot cause any more trouble for the prince.
Li Yin nodded in acquiescence. As they turned to leave, Li Yin walked straight towards Luo Sanrong. Looking at the dozing Luo Sanrong, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "What a generous heart."
He leaned in close and whispered to Luo Sanrong, "See you later, in the East Palace."
Luo Sanrong returned to the eunuch hall in a daze, not because he was sleepy, but because of what Li Yin said.
Weidao ignored Luo Sanrong who was distracted and was busy with his own things. He was injured when he went to the Prime Minister's Mansion to get evidence before, and after today's incident, the wound was torn open again.
Weidao didn't hide anything and took off his clothes directly and started applying medicine to the wound.
Luo Sanrong saw the wound on Li Yin's body and asked bluntly: "Wei Dao, were you injured because of saving me?"
Without looking up, Wei Dao continued bandaging the wound and said without emotion, "I was injured because of my own affairs, not because of you."
Luo Sanrong: "How can you say that! You clearly care about me so much. Not only did you save me, you also took care of me all night when I was sick!"
After bandaging the wound, Wei Dao finally looked up and said as he put on his clothes, "I told you, it wasn't me who took care of you all night!"
He had explained this to Luo Sanrong as early as when Luo Sanrong thought that he was the one who took care of him all night, but Luo Sanrong thought he was embarrassed to admit it, so he kept giving the credit to him.
If he had not left the Eunuch Hall for important matters that night, he would have suspected that he was taking care of Luo Sanrong in his sleep.
Luo Sanrong: "How is that possible? Who else could it be if not you?"
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