Chapter 70
The night was as dark as ink, and the shadow of the palace wall spread over the pillars of the inner court. Li Yin walked here unknowingly on the fine night dew.
The moss in front of the steps was soaked with moisture. Looking up, I saw a cool half moon hanging in the sky. Luo Sanrong was leaning alone against the vermilion pillar, his figure elongated by the moonlight. His eyes were fixed on the moon, as if he wanted to immerse all his thoughts in that bright light.
Li Yin's footsteps were so light that his brocade boots made only a faint sound as they trod across the blue bricks. He slowly walked to Luo San'er's side, followed her gaze at the moon, and then sat down gently, his robe sweeping across the ground, stirring up a fine dust.
Luo Sanrong sensed the presence beside her, her shoulders slumped slightly, and as she turned, she met Li Yin's smiling eyes. A faint smile unconsciously spread across her lips, and the curve at the corner of her eye seemed to be filled with shattered moonlight.
Seeing this, Li Yin reached out and took her hand. Her fingertips were slightly cool, and her palm was still wet with the night dew, but he felt a warmth in his heart. He lowered his head and brought her hand to his lips, his thin lips lightly touching her knuckles, as gentle as a butterfly's wings touching water.
"Is it because you saw me that you smiled so beautifully?" His voice was a little teasing, but his fingertips gently stroked her wrist.
Luo Sanrong didn't refute. Instead, she leaned forward slightly, lightly hooked her fingertips on his sleeve, and said in a voice as soft as honey: "Yes! No matter how many times we've met, I'll be very happy as long as I see Your Highness."
After hearing these words, the smile on Li Yin's face gradually faded.
He remained silent, his fingertips still resting on her wrist. The warmth he had felt earlier was gradually replaced by an inexplicable bitterness. These days, she was always like this, smiling and responding to his words, taking good care of his daily life, but there was always a hint of alienation in her eyes that he could not grasp.
Just like now, her tone was intimate, but her fingertips always maintained a slight distance. It turned out that she had never regarded him as someone she could let down her guard and rely on with peace of mind.
"Why are you pretending to be calm?" Li Yin's voice deepened, his eyes fixed on her profile. "No, you're not acting calm. You're pretending to be indifferent. You're pretending that even if the sky falls, you can still walk on alone, right?"
The smile on Luo Sanrong's face suddenly faded. She pulled her hand away and turned to look at the moon again. Her voice was as light as a breeze, filled with a sense of confusion and powerlessness: "Your Highness, some things cannot be changed no matter how hard you try. If that's the case, do I have to shed tears every day and make Your Highness upset?"
Her eyelashes drooped, casting a light shadow under her eyes, and the moonlight fell on her hair, making her look a little fragile.
When Li Yin heard this, the anger surging in his chest suddenly made his throat tight.
He suddenly grabbed her wrist, his voice suddenly tense, with a hint of panic that was hard to detect: "So? So you plan to keep pretending like this, and one day, when I'm not paying attention, you'll disappear quietly, right?"
He didn't dare to think that if he woke up one day and could no longer see her figure, what would be the point of living in this cold and lonely palace.
Luo Sanrong neither nodded nor shook her head, but just lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she was enduring something.
When Li Yin saw her like this, he realized that his tone was too urgent, even a bit coercive.
He took a deep breath, slowly loosened his grip, and gently rubbed her red wrist with his fingertips. His tone softened a lot: "I'm not trying to force you, but... I found a way to let you stay by my side as a daughter, so you don't have to hide anymore."
Luo Sanrong finally responded. She turned her head, a look of disbelief and confusion in her eyes, her voice trembling with despair: "What can I do? Your Highness, don't lie to me..."
Over the years, in order to stay by his side, she had disguised herself as a man and entered the palace, and had already tasted the pain of anxiety. She was afraid that this so-called "method" was nothing but a fleeting dream.
Li Yun held her hand, his eyes firm. "Mr. Chashan sent me a letter with only one sentence in it: 'Bring that woman to see me.'"
Luo Sanrong's eyelashes trembled violently, and suspicion instantly filled his eyes: "Mr. Chashan? That strange recluse? Why does he want to see me? Could it be..."
"Don't worry." Li Yin interrupted her doubts, gently stroking her brow with his fingertips. "Although Mr. Chashan has a strange personality, he never speaks falsely. Now that he has spoken, he must have a solution. I promise you as His Highness that I will never let anything happen to you."
Luo Sanrong looked at the determination in his eyes, was silent for a long time, and then slowly nodded: "Okay, I will go with you to see him tomorrow." Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, she wanted to grab it - not for anything else, just to be able to stand by his side openly without having to pretend anymore.
The evening breeze softened, swaying the shadows of the osmanthus trees beneath the porch. Li Yin stood up and reached out to pull Luo Sanrong into his arms. Her body was light, and as she leaned against his chest, she was still a little stiff, but she gradually relaxed, her arms gently wrapping around his waist.
Li Yin lowered his head, resting his chin on the top of her head. His voice was low and gentle, as if he was making a lifelong promise in her ear: "I'm very dissatisfied with the princess story you told me before. That couple who clearly had a deep connection with each other shouldn't have ended up separated. I want to change it, so that they can be together forever, staying together day after day, year after year."
Luo Sanrong nodded gently in his arms, her cheek pressed against his warm clothes, the faint scent of ambergris lingering on her nose, and her eyes suddenly felt hot.
Li Yin looked up at the moon in the sky, its light like a silver thread, casting a shadow on their intertwined figures. His voice was even softer, yet filled with undeniable determination, as if he were swearing to the moon, or promising to the person in his arms: "Just like us."
——
The next day, Luo Sanrong got dressed and went to West Street where she had agreed to meet Li Yin. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. Luo Sanrong turned around and saw that it was Lord Shang Gong.
Luo Sanzhen bowed and said, "Lord Shang, why are you here?"
Shang Gong did not answer, but just stared at her blankly and said, "I don't know how long it took me to find you."
Luo Sanrong showed a puzzled expression, pointed at himself and said, "What? Why are you looking for me?"
Lord Shang stepped forward, held her in his arms, and said, "There's something I need to tell you, Luo Ye."
Luo Sanrong: "How do you know my name?"
Li Yin, who had just arrived, asked: "How do you know that name?"
Two voices sounded at the same time. Shang Gong quickly realized that now was not the best time. He immediately adjusted his expression, turned around and looked at Li Yin, bowing.
Originally, the visit to Mr. Chashan was to be carried out in secret. However, Lord Shang had already known about it. Li Yin and Luo Sanrong looked at each other and had to return to the palace.
After returning to the East Palace, Li Yin and Shang Gong sat opposite each other. Li Yin asked curiously, "How did Shang Gong know Luo Yu?"
Lord Shang replied, "...Your Highness, the child may not remember, but she knew her as a child."
Li Yin showed an expression of sudden enlightenment, and then said, "I didn't expect to see Lord Shang there. I am very surprised!"
Lord Shang took a sip of tea to hide his expression and echoed, "As do I."
Li Yin asked, "What happened when you were little that made you look for her for so long?"
Lord Shang: "I owe Luo Yun's mother a great favor. I wanted to take good care of her to repay her mother's kindness, but I didn't expect her to get lost."
Li Yin: “I see.”
Li Yin then asked, "Does Lord Shang also know about that?"
Lord Shang looked up at Li Yin and asked, "Are you talking about her being a girl?"
Li Yin: "Now it's time for you to return the favor. She will be in the palace from now on, so I still ask you to take good care of her."
Lord Shang nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."
When Lord Shang walked out of the inner hall of the East Palace, he found Luo Sanrong waiting outside the hall. After seeing Lord Shang come out, Luo Sanrong hurried forward and called out to him, "Lord Shang..."
Lord Shang made a "hush" gesture and said, "You must have many things you want to ask me, but you have to wait a few days. After a few days, I will come to you in person."
Luo Sanrong stopped and watched Shang Gong's back getting farther and farther away until it was out of sight.
Luo Sanrong entered the inner hall. Li Yin noticed Luo Sanrong's presence and raised his head and said, "I will arrange a new time with Mr. Chashan."
Luo Sanrong smiled in agreement, then knelt beside Li Yin and began grinding ink for him. Suddenly, she asked, "Your Highness, could you tell me who Mr. Chashan is?"
Li Yin put down his pen, pondered for a while, and then slowly said, "He is a very wise man, but there is one bad thing about him: after drinking, he will become crazy and talk nonsense."
Luo Sanrong seemed to be lost in some memories. In his memory, the grandfather next door was also like this. He would go crazy as soon as he drank, and even the dogs in the village would consciously avoid him.
Thinking of this, Luo Sanrong thought of his mother and became distracted.
Li Yin called her softly: "Luo Er..."
Luo Sanrong came back to her senses, only to see Li Yin suddenly hugging her and moving closer to her...
After Shang Gong left the Eastern Palace, he saw Wei Dao waiting in the octagonal pavilion. He approached him slowly, only to hear Wei Dao ask, "Are you hiding your identity in order to execute the traitor?"
Lord Shang looked at the child he had rescued that year and said slowly, "I've never worried about you. You know better than anyone who killed your family and left them broken and devastated."
Weidao did not deny it. He still remembered that because of his father's momentary kindness, the current emperor ordered the execution of his entire family. If it were not for the organization and Lord Shang, he might not be where he is today.
Lord Shang continued, "I've served three kings in my time. I always hoped they would be kind, virtuous, and resourceful, but each time I was disappointed. There is no hope for the Li Dynasty anymore."
Otoshi asked, "So, for new hope, what does the organization want us to do? Start another riot?"
Lord Shang said disdainfully, "That's just a means. How can a riot bring hope?"
Then, looking at Wei Dao, he asked, "By the way, does that child really have no memory of the riots ten years ago?"
Tail Knife said: "Yes, it seems like he knows nothing."
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