The towering palace walls on both sides made the palace path appear even narrower and longer, with only the petals drifting in the wind offering a little comfort.
Wei Shuwan continued walking towards the palace gate in the palanquin, but felt inexplicably lonely.
Wen Chan, who had been invited by Yuan Que to a palace, felt her initial joy fade after entering through a large gate. Looking at the desolate courtyard before her, Wen Chan guessed that this must be an abandoned cold palace in the imperial palace.
"You didn't lead me the wrong way, did you? Does the young prince really want to see me here?" Wen Chan asked Yuan Que behind her with some unease after looking around.
But she didn't get any answer. Confused, Wen Chan turned around to look, only to find that Yuan Que, who had been following behind her, had disappeared.
Wen Chan panicked, feeling increasingly uneasy about the situation. She convulsed for a moment before turning back, but just as she reached the door, the two mottled vermilion doors slammed down on her!
With her escape route blocked, Wen Chan was even more shocked and frightened. She tentatively reached out her hands to knock on the door: "Who's outside? Let me out, let me out now!"
"Miss Wen."
A cold wind whistled, carrying a man's clear and gentle voice to her ears. Wen Chan immediately recognized it as Li Qingchen's voice.
Wen Chan turned around with mixed feelings of surprise and delight, and sure enough, she saw a tall male figure standing in the previously empty courtyard. He had his hands behind his back and was facing away from her, but Wen Chan was not mistaken for that imposing figure. It was undoubtedly Li Qingchen, the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan.
"Young Prince, your deliberately mysterious meeting almost frightened Chan'er..."
"Feel sorry."
Hearing his apology, Wen Chan felt a warmth in her heart and immediately forgave him. Her panic subsided, leaving only a girl's shyness: "It's...it's nothing, but I wonder if Your Highness has something important to tell me that you won't let me leave the palace so late?"
Wen Chan gently twirled the handkerchief between her fingers, her heart pounding. She had a feeling that Li Qingchen was going to confess his feelings to her tonight, which was why he was being so mysterious.
She had waited for the Crown Prince for so many years, yet she had never felt this way whenever she faced him. Her longing for the Crown Prince was simply for him to grant her a noble status, but it wasn't until she met the young Prince Qiaochuan that she knew what it meant to be moved.
Seeing that Li Qingchen did not answer and still had his back to her, Wen Chan bit her lip lightly, her tone urging, "In a little while, the palace gates will be locked..."
"It's alright." Li Qingchen finally responded, saying gently, "Please, Miss Wen, stay at the palace tonight."
"Stay overnight in the palace?" Wen Chan was taken aback. Although this was not what she had hoped to hear, she knew all too well what it meant.
Today, His Majesty selected a consort for the Prince of Qiaochuan, and the Prince of Qiaochuan kept her, which naturally means he has chosen her as his heir apparent. However, this is somewhat against etiquette.
Wen Chan was, after all, the daughter of a high-ranking official and the niece of a noble consort. Prince Xiao Qiaochuan should have welcomed her into the palace with the proper formalities of marriage and a grand sedan chair carried by eight men, but he should not have so hastily and directly allowed her to stay overnight in the palace.
Wen Chan hesitated for a moment. Although this showed that Li Qingchen was interested in her, it also revealed a certain disdain. Just like now, although Li Qingchen was telling her to stay, he kept his back to her and did not show her any respect.
Wen Chan wanted to go up and have a proper talk with Li Qingchen, but when she walked to Li Qingchen's side and leaned down to look at his expression, she saw a ghost-faced fanged creature!
"ah--"
Wen Chan gasped in surprise, instinctively trying to back away but finding her legs too weak, and collapsed to the ground.
The "ghost" turned around and slowly crouched down in front of her. Wen Chan instinctively braced herself against the ground and shrank back. At that moment, an "I'm sorry" escaped his lips, and then he chopped her neck with his palm, causing her to immediately faint.
Before long, the door to the Cold Palace opened again, and Yuan Que entered with a young eunuch. However, this time Yuan Que's face was covered with a black veil, making it impossible to see his features.
"Master, the person has been brought." Yuan Que not only concealed his identity but also changed his form of address to Li Qingchen.
Wearing a ghost head mask, Li Qingchen looked at the "little eunuch," who was none other than Feng Wan, whom he had arranged to infiltrate the palace disguised as a man.
"Consort Wan, tonight I ask you to dress up as her and serve His Majesty well." As he spoke, Li Qingchen lowered his eyes and glanced at Wen Chan, who was lying at his feet.
Feng Wanying squatted down, reached out and turned Wen Chan's face, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Who is she? She looks somewhat like Consort Wen when she was young."
"She is Consort Wen's niece, named Wen Chan."
Feng Wan nodded. "No wonder."
Afterwards, Li Qingchen gave a few more instructions, roughly outlining the steps Feng Wan would need to take after disguising herself as Wen Chan. The more Wen Chan listened, the more her heart pounded.
After this five-year separation, she had long realized how deeply she loved the Emperor. Even if she could not return to his side in her true form, she would be content as long as she could still snuggle into his arms as before.
After hearing this, Feng Wan looked at the man wearing the ghost head mask with gratitude: "Since you have allowed me to return to His Majesty's side, you are my benefactor in this life! In fact, you don't need to hide your face in front of me. I only feel gratitude towards you. Even if I am exposed and sentenced to death one day, I will never betray my benefactor!"
Faced with Feng Wan's earnest and sincere request, Li Qingchen simply smiled and coldly reminded her before leaving, "Don't call me 'benefactor' anymore."
Feng Wan watched his departing figure, assuming that his last sentence was merely a humble remark. However, Yuan Que, who had been by Li Qingchen's side for many years, discerned a hidden meaning:
Could it be that these two words have become someone else's exclusive domain in their master's mind?
...
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