Chapter 35 He has someone in his heart, how could he possibly make a move on her...?
A figure appeared in the bronze rhombus-shaped mirror, her hair adorned with exquisitely arranged jewels, resembling a walking dressing table.
Huiyin moved her heavy head, but she still couldn't agree with Madam Pei's simplistic and crude aesthetic.
The maid in green behind her held up the Begonia Fairy Dress next to her, but Huiyin stopped her and removed the excess jewels from her head.
She chose a light pink and green tulle dress, so sheer it revealed glimpses of her fair skin beneath. She parted her long hair, tying some into a bun and letting the rest flow freely down her back, a crimson ribbon tied to the bun.
Unlike her usual bare face, Huiyin specially put on makeup, drawing a lotus-shaped flower between her eyebrows, her rouge as white as clouds.
While there was still some time, Huiyin recalled the few dances she had learned before. She didn't know many, but the best one she could dance was the Waist-Bending Dance.
Zheng Xiu's mother, Hongxiuzhao, was famous in Xijing for her waist-bending dance. She had been practicing diligently with her mother since childhood, and she would definitely choose this waist-bending dance today. If Huiyin also danced the waist-bending dance, she would have no chance of winning.
Although the votes would be a tie, Guangling would definitely be dissatisfied if the difference in their dance styles was too great. After much thought, Huiyin decided that performing the Lotus Picking Dance, combined with her outfit and the ten miles of lotus flowers, might be a good chance.
After tidying up, she quickly went out of the house. He Jiaying and Sui Yang were waiting for her in the courtyard. When they saw her come out, they were full of amazement.
He Jiaying seemed to see Huiyin from the past, dressed in splendid clothes, smiling sweetly. After looking at her in simple clothes and plain face for a long time, suddenly seeing her as beautiful as a flower again, she felt dazzling.
He Jiaying leaned forward. She had asked Madam Pei to roll a boiled egg on her eyelids to reduce the swelling, but they were still a little red.
She touched Huiyin's fabric and exclaimed, "So beautiful!"
Suiyang was still holding the bouquet of lotus flowers, her face showing worry: "Sister Huiyin, have you decided what dance to perform?"
Huiyin nodded. "Let's go."
When they arrived at Xiushui Lake, there were twice as many people as before. In addition to the officials' wives who came to watch the excitement, there were also many servants who came to find out the news.
Guangling and the others were already waiting in the pavilion. Zheng Xiu was wearing a crimson cloud-patterned dress, the cut of which was extremely fitted to her waist, and the sleeves reached her knees. Her hair was styled in a high bun, making her look pretty and charming, quite different from her gentle demeanor just now.
She stared at Huiyin with a half-smile: "So you dared not come because of me."
Huiyin lifted her skirt and walked into the wooden corridor, her expression calm: "Your Highness is joking."
Zheng Xiu also looked at Huiyin, and her eyes flashed when she saw her dance skirt. Her palms gradually became sweaty. Today was the first time they had competed, and she had to win.
Guangling couldn't wait to see Song Huiyin lose face. She impatiently tapped the table and said, "Who wants to go first?"
Huiyin and Zhengxiu's eyes met. Zhengxiu stepped forward, her voice soft yet firm: "I'll go first."
Huiyin had no objection and sat down next to Suiyang and He Jiaying. She looked around and saw that it was still the same group of girls from before, with no unfamiliar faces.
The strings rang softly, soothing and graceful. Zheng Xiu bent her knees slightly, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and only half of her face, which was covered by long sleeves, was revealed, making her charming and beautiful.
Three drumbeats sounded, and Zheng Xiu straightened up, her slender figure like a green bamboo.
"Thump—"
Suddenly, her waist went limp, and she bent backward. Her long, plain sleeves spread out on the wooden corridor, swaying alluringly like a water snake.
Her long sleeves fluttered in the air, changing shape with the rhythm of her waist, while the small golden bells hanging from her waist jingled incessantly with her dance steps.
The heavy drumbeats resumed rapidly, and Zheng Xiu, her lower back supple, bent over again, one leg pointing skyward, her head barely three inches off the ground. This precarious, almost-falling posture was even more breathtaking than a complete collapse.
When the dance ended, thunderous applause erupted.
Huiyin touched her lower back awkwardly. She didn't have Zheng Xiu's supple waist. She had suffered a lot when learning the waist-bending dance before she could barely make it passable. It was completely incomparable to Zheng Xiu's dance.
Zheng Xiu's chest heaved, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her face. She walked lightly into the pavilion, her gaze fixed on Huiyin, as if to say, "You can't beat me."
Before Guangling could urge her, Huiyin rose and walked to the center of the wooden corridor. A gentle east wind rose, lifting her layers of light pink gauze skirt and causing her crimson hair ribbons to flutter.
She looked up and caught a glimpse of a pair of figures standing on the hillside diagonally above, like a troop of cavalry going hunting. They were quite far away, so her vision was a little blurry, but the silhouette of one of them looked remarkably like Pei Yu.
Huiyin squinted, trying to get a closer look.
Guangling's annoying voice rang out: "What are you dawdling about? Are you going to admit defeat?"
Huiyin withdrew her gaze, signaling to the musicians that they could begin playing. She closed her eyes and listened to the music.
A young girl, dressed in a light pink gauze dress, stood amidst ten miles of lotus blossoms, like a fairy from the Jade Pool who had just taken human form. She lightly touched the ground with her right foot, and slowly raised her left leg, bending her knee into a crescent moon shape.
She danced to the light and cheerful music, her arms outstretched, gold dust from her sleeves scattering into the lake like a fluttering butterfly, laughing and playing freely in the pond.
The music ended.
Huiyin gathered her sleeves and turned, her hands forming a lotus shape as she moved from high to low. She leaned forward, revealing a section of her snow-white nape through her disheveled black hair, dazzling and captivating.
"Look, what's that?" someone exclaimed.
As everyone looked up, they saw that the lake around the wooden corridor was filled with fish and koi of all sizes, which surrounded Huiyin and rose and fell with her dance steps.
The people in the pavilion were astonished and all got up to look.
The crowd on the hillside was awestruck. From their vantage point, they could see a woman dancing gracefully amidst the ten miles of lotus blossoms. Her crimson hair ribbon was eye-catching, making people unconsciously follow its ups and downs.
Amazingly, the fish in the lake swam towards the woman from all directions, eventually gathering around her. The koi were colorful, and the girl's green skirt fluttered. For a moment, it was hard to tell whether the beauty of the leaping koi or the girl's dance was more beautiful.
The prince exclaimed in disbelief, "Such a wondrous sight exists in the world!"
The King of Wu crossed his arms and laughed, "Crown Prince, do you regret giving Song Huiyin away so easily?"
The crown prince snapped out of his daze, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He glared at the King of Wu and looked at Pei Yu apologetically, "I didn't mean anything by it."
Pei Yu nodded slightly. He knew the Crown Prince's temperament best. Everyone has a love of beauty, and he wasn't that petty.
He just never expected that Huiyin, who had always kept a low profile, would do something so attention-grabbing.
Pei Yu gripped the reins tightly, gazing at the spectacular sight below, his Adam's apple bobbing. Strangely, he was very possessive; he wouldn't allow anyone else to even glance at what belonged to him.
But looking at the radiant Song Huiyin, all he wanted to do was tell her to be even more beautiful and dazzling.
She was a poisonous peony. Pei Yu had known for a long time that Huiyin's motives were impure and that she had other plans for staying by his side. He didn't mind, or rather, he was certain that Song Huiyin couldn't cause any trouble.
He didn't know when it started, but her poison had seeped into his body, disturbing Pei Yu's peace day and night.
Recalling their argument the day before, Pei Yu felt annoyed. He quickly searched through the crowd and, sure enough, spotted Wang Huan staring at Huiyin's figure not far away.
Pei Yu scoffed lightly. No matter how you look at it, it's not going to be his.
Huiyin stopped in time with the music, beads of sweat appearing on her nose. Having not danced for a long time, she could clearly feel the rustiness in her steps, and there were a few moments of hesitation. Fortunately, she cleverly used the koi fish spectacle to cover it up.
He Jiaying stepped forward with a clean cotton handkerchief, her eyes sparkling: "Wipe yourself, are you tired?"
Huiyin took the handkerchief and wiped her face, then waved her hand listlessly. She was covered in sweat and felt sticky all over; all she wanted was to go back quickly to bathe and change.
She walked into the pavilion, and Zheng Xiu stared at her in disbelief, her eyes brimming with tears.
Huiyin avoided her gaze and silently walked over to sit down next to Suiyang.
Suiyang handed Huiyin a cup of tea, propped his head up with his hands, and exclaimed in admiration, "Sister Huiyin, how did you manage to make the fish gather together?"
Huiyin took out a little bit of the remaining gold powder from her sleeve and whispered in Suiyang's ear: "I got some medicinal powder. This powder can attract fish in a short time."
Then he raised a finger to his lips and shook his head slightly.
Sui Yang covered his lips with both hands, revealing a pair of bright eyes, and nodded with a smile.
After the vote, a palace maid from Suiyang and a palace maid from Guangling each collected the votes. After a while, the palace maid from Guangling stepped forward with her head down and said in a very low voice: "Miss Zheng has nineteen votes, and Lady Song has twenty-one votes. Lady Song wins."
Huiyin was also somewhat surprised. In her mind, a draw would be the best outcome. She hadn't thought about winning, nor did she want to lose. She just wanted to get out of today's banquet safely.
Unexpectedly, they won by a single vote.
The pavilion was deserted. According to the bet they had agreed on, Princess Guangling had lost and was supposed to apologize to Huiyin and He Jiaying in person, but no one dared to bring it up at the moment.
“Your Highness, a bet is a bet.” Huiyin sat down next to Suiyang, breaking the silence.
Guangling's face was gloomy, her eyes filled with a hatred that seemed to want to rip out Huiyin's eyes. She remained seated, utterly disdainful, "You think you're worthy?"
Huiyin smiled. She had no expectation that Guangling would keep the agreement. "If Your Highness is unwilling, then... let's forget about it."
Guangling's face was extremely ugly, his gaze like a knife as he stared at the weeping Zheng Xiu, and he became even angrier when he saw her weak appearance.
She pushed aside the palace maid fanning herself and stormed up to the weeping Zheng Xiu, raising her hand to deliver a vicious slap.
Zheng Xiu was stunned and lay on the ground, covering her face and not daring to make a sound. Her hair, which had been disheveled by the slap, hung messily over her shoulders.
The sudden turn of events silenced everyone in the pavilion. Huiyin and Suiyang looked up at the same time, and He Jiaying's eyelashes trembled as she unconsciously took a step back.
Guangling stared at Zheng Xiu, who was covering her face on the ground, and cursed, "You worthless thing, just like your lowly mother, you only deserve to be people's amusement."
Zheng Xiu kept her head down after kneeling, her palms on the ground, her fingertips white.
Guangling was still not satisfied. He turned around, picked up the wine cup on the table, and poured it over Zheng Xiu's head. The peach-colored wine dripped down Zheng Xiu's face and onto the ground, filling the air with a sweet smell.
"Useless trash! You're useless! I gave you a chance and you failed. I'll send you back to..."
Seeing that Guangling was going too far with her words and actions, Suiyang spoke up to stop her: "Your Majesty!"
Guangling was stopped, her eyes turning fierce. "What? This princess can't even discipline her own people?"
Sui Yang rarely showed a cold expression. He got up and walked to Zheng Xiu's side. In front of Guang Ling, he helped Zheng Xiu up and protected her behind him.
She faced Guangling with neither servility nor arrogance, saying, "As royal princesses, our every word and action represents the dignity of the royal family. You are arrogant and domineering, using your power to oppress others and bullying the weak. Do you really think no one can deal with you?"
Guangling burst into laughter, the golden hairpins in her hair trembling. She raised her hand to touch Suiyang's rosy face, her grip tightening. "When did it become your place to lecture me?"
"The Grand Chamberlain has arrived!" the eunuch shouted at the top of his lungs.
Guangling frowned, looked up, and saw Grand Chamberlain Yao Lan dressed in palace attire, exuding an air of authority, followed by two eunuchs. She smiled at the two people locked in a stalemate in the pavilion, her lips parting slightly: "The Empress summons you, Your Highness Guangling, Your Highness Suiyang, please."
Guangling withdrew her hand, glanced coldly at the seated Huiyin, and left with a flick of her sleeve. Suiyang followed behind her, and the group disappeared from the shore of Xiushui Lake.
On the way back to Yingfeng Pavilion, He Jiaying hesitated and asked, "Aren't you going to ask me what Guangling did to me?"
Huiyin squinted and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight filtering through the trees. "There's nothing to ask."
She didn't stop walking, nor did she turn around. Her ethereal voice drifted into He Jiaying's ears: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
He Jiaying slowed her pace, a layer of mist rising before her eyes. She gazed at Huiyin's back, envying her greatly and longing to become like her.
Calm, strong, and fearless, it seems nothing can defeat her. No matter the predicament, she always manages to break free of her constraints.
She wiped her eyes and quickened her pace to catch up.
Huiyin returned to Yingfeng Pavilion and bumped into Pei Yan, who was rushing out. Fortunately, Pei Yan used his waist to dodge to the side, otherwise Huiyin would have been knocked away by his brute force.
He Jiaying helped Huiyin up and leaned over to look at Pei Yan, scolding, "Be careful! You're so clumsy."
Pei Yan looked up at the sky and scratched the back of his head. "I wanted to watch your match. You've already gone back. Who won?"
Huiyin: "I won."
After she finished speaking, she quickly walked past Pei Yan and went into the house to take off her hair.
Pei Yan called out from behind, "What a pity, I actually missed Guangling's embarrassed expression."
He Jiaying patted his shoulder and said, "She didn't keep her promise at all. But Guangling was furious. She insulted and beat Zheng Xiu in front of everyone. She has already been summoned by the Empress and will probably get a scolding."
"It's a pity I didn't see it," Pei Yan said regretfully, stroking his chin.
He Jiaying: "Didn't your aunt ask you to call your cousin back?"
Pei Yan: "My elder brother went hunting in the mountains today with the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wu. He said he would return at noon."
He Jiaying said with regret, "It's a pity that my cousin didn't see Huiyin's dance. If he had been there, he would definitely have been captivated."
Unaware of the discussion, Huiyin, immersed in the warm water, leaned against the tub with her eyes closed, recalling the figure on the earthen slope in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt it resembled Pei Yu.
Huiyin recalled the unpleasant parting last night, shook her head to clear her mind, clasped her hands together, and splashed water on herself.
I heard that Su Jinghao has been taking care of some official business with the Empress these days. There's no news from Yuan Zhi yet, so I might as well go and check on Su Jinghao first.
Yan Niang brought a clean and soft long dress for Huiyin to wear, and wrung out her hair with a clean handkerchief.
As noon approached, the wind chimes under the eaves tinkled softly, and the flowers in the courtyard swayed, filling the air with their sweet fragrance.
Yan Niang placed the lunch in front of the window and called Huiyin over to eat. The meals in the palace were uniformly managed by the Imperial Food Supervisor, and the daily menus were all set.
The taste was unremarkable; it couldn't be described as delicious or bad. Families with some means would secretly cook for their children in their courtyards.
Yan Niang asked someone to get some fresh lotus roots, and made a lotus root and bone soup by simmering pork bones over medium heat for half an hour. The soup was very fragrant.
Huiyin sipped the hot soup, while Yanniang watched her with a smile, gently waving a bamboo fan in her hand, the breeze carrying the fragrance of green bamboo.
"Try some grilled meat." Yan Niang handed over a skewer of grilled meat.
Huiyin took the meat skewer; the bamboo skewer and meat were tightly embedded, and she had to use a lot of effort to bite off a piece.
The sound of gold and jade clinking came from the entrance. Huiyin looked in the direction of the sound and saw Pei Yu standing at the courtyard gate with a deep gaze, quietly watching her.
Huiyin put down the meat skewer in her hand, lowered her head, and remained silent.
The wind rustled through the treetops.
Pei Yu gazed at the girl sitting under the eaves. She seemed to have just bathed, wearing a light apricot-colored straight-hemmed robe with wide sleeves that revealed her fair and slender arms. Her hair was loose behind her head, with a few strands falling over her shoulders, giving her a serene and tranquil air.
He recalled the scene he saw when he first entered the hospital: Huiyin was struggling with the meat skewers with her eyes downcast. It was the first time he had seen such a vivid expression of her grimacing on her face, but he didn't find it ugly at all. Instead, he found it very cute.
Unaware of the awkwardness between the two, Yan Niang, sitting behind Hui Yin, coughed lightly to remind her to speak.
Huiyin remained silent for a long time before finally looking up and asking, "Young General, have you eaten?"
Pei Yu replied coldly, "Not yet."
"Then let's use some together." Huiyin looked at Pei Yu, her gaze calm.
Pei Yu nodded slightly, and under Huiyin's gaze, slowly walked forward and knelt down opposite her.
Seeing this, Yan Niang got up, took small steps to the side room, brought out a pair of clean bowls and chopsticks and placed them in front of Pei Yu. She hesitated for a moment, then turned and left, gently closing the courtyard gate.
Only Huiyin and Pei Yu remained in the courtyard, and for a moment they were silent. Huiyin took Pei Yu's lacquer bowl and ladled him a bowl of warm pork rib soup, her eyelashes fluttering slightly: "Lotus root and pork rib soup, a specialty of Jingchu."
She placed the lacquer bowl in front of Pei Yu, straightened her back, and looked at the man opposite her.
Pei Yu picked up the silver spoon and drank his soup. He was very polite and ate in a refined manner.
Huiyin had almost finished eating. Her gaze drifted off, her eyes lingering on Pei Yu's shoulder. She recalled when she first arrived at the Pei residence, she wasn't familiar with Pei Yu's personality and was always tense in his presence, afraid to be unrestrained for fear of displeasing him.
She didn't know when it started, but she became less and less afraid of Pei Yu, and even dared to argue with him and give him the cold shoulder.
A warm touch and the rough feel of calluses came to Huiyin's senses. She turned her head slightly and found that Pei Yu was raising his hand to touch her face, his fingers moving slightly as he gently wiped the corner of her mouth.
His expression remained unchanged, still that cold look, but his words sent a shiver down Huiyin's spine: "Your face is dirty."
Huiyin stared blankly at him, a highly improbable thought surfacing in her mind, "You..."
Before Huiyin could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Pei Yan, who barged in. Pei Yan was wearing a short robe, small leather boots, and a long sword at his waist. He spoke in a very loud voice: "Brother, take me to the Yuanlin Horse Ranch. I want to ride a Ferghana horse!"
Pei Yu withdrew his hand the moment Pei Yan spoke, lightly tapping the table with his knuckles, his unfathomable eyes fixed on Pei Yan, "Can't you knock?"
Pei Yan looked at his elder brother with a puzzled expression, then at Huiyin sitting opposite him, before realizing something was amiss. His elder brother was now living with Huiyin, and he couldn't just barge in like that.
"I'll definitely be more careful next time." Pei Yan took two steps back and gently knocked on the wooden door.
Pei Yu put down his chopsticks, got up, and led Pei Yan out of the courtyard. Huiyin overheard the two brothers talking.
Pei Yan: "I've heard that the sweat of a Ferghana horse is as good as blood when it runs. Is that true?"
Pei Yan: "Brother, shall we go and see now?"
Pei Yan: "I really want to see it, please, brother!"
Pei Yu seemed annoyed and pushed away Pei Yan's head that was leaning in, saying lazily, "Wait until I finish paying my respects to my mother."
The two brothers disappeared around the corner. Huiyin lowered her head and laughed. Pei Yan was like a little dog wagging its tail whenever he met Pei Yu.
Pei Yu appeared impatient with Pei Yan, but inwardly he cared deeply for his younger brother and fulfilled all his desires.
She once saw Pei Yu reading through bamboo slips late at night and thought he was studying military books. Later she found out that he was looking through Pei Yan's articles at the Imperial Academy and secretly caring about his studies.
Huiyin got up and went back to the room. She sat in front of the bronze mirror and looked at her face. As if possessed, she raised her hand and covered the place where Pei Yu had touched her, remembering his deep eyes at that time.
The sound of Yan Niang calling for A Heng to tidy up the table interrupted her actions. Huiyin's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly withdrew her hand and lowered her head to straighten her skirt. She had been interrupted by Pei Yan and hadn't had a chance to ask if Pei Yu had fallen for her.
Huiyin propped his head up, thinking it over and finding it impossible. In his heart, there was always Liu Tan, who was far away in Qingzhou. He was waiting for her to finish her mourning period so that the two of them could rekindle their relationship. This was something everyone knew.
He has someone else in his heart, how could he possibly fall for her?
Huiyin breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, she hadn't asked aloud. Otherwise, it would have been so awkward if Pei Yu had denied it. He probably would have thought she was being presumptuous and might even have mocked her, saying that just because she had a pretty face, she thought all the men in the world liked her.
She raised her hand to pat her face, looked at her reflection in the mirror, and said, word by word, "Song Huiyin, don't overthink it. He and you are not on the same path."
Pei Yu did not return that night after he left.
With some free time, Madam Pei took He Jiaying out for matchmaking every day, returning only at dusk. Pei Yan and Pei Yu also stayed at the Yuanlin Horse Ranch after they went there.
Huiyin was left alone in the huge Yingfeng Pavilion. She stayed alone for several days, studying ancient characters and practicing needlework with Yan Niang. Her emotions, which had been fluctuating because of Pei Yu, gradually calmed down.
——
Before we knew it, it was time for the first night banquet at Ganquan Palace.
After lunch, He Jiaying ran to Huiyin's courtyard and vividly recounted the events of the astronomical readings.
She lay on the low couch, covering her face with her wide sleeves, and said sullenly, "I don't like any of the people my aunt introduced me to."
Huiyin asked, "What kind of person do you like?"
He Jiaying turned to look at Huiyin, who was sitting by the window pruning jasmine flowers, and tilted her head, saying, "I don't know either, maybe... it's just not my cup of tea?"
"In short, I need to find someone I like!"
Huiyin put down the scissors, turned to look at He Jiaying, and murmured, "What is liking?"
He Jiaying lifted her skirt and got off the bed, quickly ran to Huiyin's side, sat on the brocade mat opposite her, and explained loudly: "To like someone is to get angry when you see him with other women, to miss him when you can't see him, to worry when he worries, and to be happy when he is happy."
Huiyin was puzzled: "If all your joys and sorrows are tied to one man, are you still yourself?"
“Hmm,” He Jiaying frowned, “I only heard it from others. I don’t know what liking someone is.”
Huiyin put down the scissors, bent down to tidy up the broken leaves on the table, and changed the subject: "How much do you know about the affairs of Guangling?"
He Jiaying scrunched up her face and pouted, saying, "I don't know much. I usually avoid her when I see her."
"Do you know about her marriage?" Huiyin asked casually, gently fiddling with the flowers.
He Jiaying clapped her hands and said, "I know that. My aunt told me that Princess Guangling doesn't want to marry him, and Consort Zheng keeps trying to persuade His Majesty to cancel the marriage."
The marriage between Guangling and the heir of the Prince of Huainan was arranged by the late emperor before his death. The Prince of Huainan was the only prince of a different surname in this dynasty. When the late emperor was alive, he made outstanding contributions and quelled the rebellion of four kingdoms on his own.
He had many children, but besides three daughters, he only had one son, who is now the heir apparent to the Prince of Huainan. He was intelligent and quick-witted from a young age, but unfortunately, he fell seriously ill when he was eight years old, which left him with aftereffects, making him mentally challenged.
The late emperor was wary of the Prince of Huainan's great achievements and the clever heir, so he was always on guard. Unexpectedly, one day something happened, and the only heir of the Prince of Huainan's mansion became an idiot.
He was completely relieved, and in order to appease the King of Huainan, he betrothed the eldest daughter of the then Crown Prince, who is now the Princess of Guangling, to the Prince of Huainan's heir.
As Guangling grew up and the Zheng family's status rose accordingly, she was extremely unwilling to fulfill this marriage and kept trying to delay it in various ways. Now she was nearly twenty years old, and there was still no movement from the palace to send the princess to marry.
Guangling and Zheng Jiamou tried their best to break off the engagement, but because it was the late emperor's decree, His Majesty had never agreed, nor had he forced her to marry.
The Prince of Huainan was well aware of the whole story. Over the years, he had remained obedient, staying in his fiefdom and never going to the capital, nor had he asked His Majesty for permission to marry the princess.
The heir of the Prince of Huainan was already twenty-two years old. Because he was nominally engaged to the Prince of Guangling, the Prince of Huainan had not arranged for him to take a concubine. But he was the only son of the Prince, and he was mentally disabled. How could the Prince not long for a healthy grandson?
He Jiaying looked around for a moment, then leaned close to Huiyin and whispered, "I also know a secret: Guangling is secretly keeping a male concubine."
Huiyin paused, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "How did you know?"
He Jiaying hesitated for a moment, but decided to be honest: "I once secretly saw her behaving intimately with a man. I didn't know it at the time, but Guangling threatened and beat me afterwards, so I guessed it."
He Jiaying straightened up, pouted, and leaned close to Huiyin.
Huiyin quickly stepped back, pressing down on her shoulders to stop her from moving forward, and exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing!"
He Jiaying awkwardly stepped back and explained, "I was demonstrating for you. She and that man were hugging and kissing each other on the lips, and they were making a lot of noise."
Huiyin: "..."
"You can say whatever you want, but don't do anything."
He Jiaying was puzzled, staring with her two dark eyes and exclaiming, "It's not like we haven't kissed before, when I fell into the water..."
"Shut up! Let's get down to business." Huiyin quickly interrupted her.
“Okay,” He Jiaying said, leaning on the table and fiddling with the trimmed jasmine flowers, looking rather uninterested. “She’s been targeting me and sending people to cause trouble for me ever since I discovered her secret, just like the little banquet a few days ago.”
Huiyin: "Do you remember what the leader looked like?"
He Jiaying nodded, recalling for a moment: "He was very refined and gentle, with fair and delicate features. He looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place who he resembled."
She racked her brains, and He Jiaying was certain that she had seen someone who looked like that leader before. But where was it?
"By the way, although I can't remember who he looks like, I saw him in the crowd of onlookers at Xiushui Lake a few days ago!"
Huiyin asked in confusion, "Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"
No matter how spoiled and domineering Guangling might be, she wouldn't be so arrogant as to bring her male favorites to the Ganquan Palace. The Prince of Huainan, though low-key, is not one to be trifled with; he wouldn't allow her to insult him like this…
He Jiaying nodded firmly: "I'm sure, it's him. He has a bright red beauty mark under his eye, which is very different from his handsome features, making him unforgettable at first sight."
Huiyin picked up a broken branch from the table and gently broke it off. She lowered her head and smiled faintly. An unmarried princess kept male concubines and brought them to Ganquan Palace in a blatant manner. There was also a fiancé of extraordinary status.
The show is about to begin.
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