Chapter 193: Chapter 192: Truth
Upon hearing the sound, Qing Yan and Lu Chun timidly responded.
Du Yunluo sat nearby, carefully observing the reactions of the two palace maids.
As Princess Nanyan arranged things, Qing Yan watched intently, not daring to look away, while Lu Chun’s gaze wandered, sometimes glancing at the table and sometimes at Nanyan, occasionally sneaking a peek at Princess Yunhua’s face.
Princess Yunhua looked at the arrangement that pleased her, her expression finally improved a bit: "You remembered quite well."
Nanyan lowered her eyes, silent. Having lived with the princess for more than ten years, through two lifetimes overlapping, some things were impossible to forget even if she wanted to.
It was already close to noon, and the sound of horns blared outside.
Princess Yunhua’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly dropped the half-eaten lily cake to the side, not bothering to wipe her hands, and rushed outside.
County Princess Nanyan and Du Yunluo had no choice but to follow.
Lu Chun rubbed her knees as she got up, seeing Qing Yan still staring at the table, she snickered and pushed her lightly: "Got obsessed? Why are you still looking?"
"It needs to be remembered. If we place it wrong next time, the princess will be angry again," Qing Yan said softly.
Lu Chun pouted: "These things shouldn’t even be ours to do."
Qing Yan sighed: "It’s because Sister Suiyu injured her foot. Someone needs to serve by the princess’s side."
Lu Chun huffed: "Then you remember it, you hurry and memorize it."
Princess Yunhua exited the tent and walked straight ahead.
Du Yunluo followed her, and from a distance, she saw the nobles returning with their spoils.
The Holy Emperor, riding a tall black horse, looked spirited, lacking the elegance and gentleness from when they met at Cining Palace last time, gaining instead decisiveness and boldness, with a quiver on his back and carrying a dead roe deer in his hand.
He saw Princess Yunhua striding quickly towards him and laughed loudly: "Yunhua, I personally hunted this roe deer. I’ll have someone make you a new hat from it later."
Roe deer skin wasn’t anything special, but since the Holy Emperor hunted it, it was different from the ordinary.
Princess Yunhua was very happy and said with a smile, "Thank you, Father."
This trip was fruitful; roe deer, wild deer, rabbits, and pheasants were naturally not lacking. Crown Prince Li Ke also hunted a leopard, which made the Holy Emperor particularly delighted.
Li Ke, being straightforward and sincere, didn’t care to claim credit, and repeatedly stated that Li Yu and Li Luan also had merit. The three of them encircled it, and with the help of the guards, they succeeded.
Such sincerity made the Holy Emperor increasingly fond of him, continually calling for rewards.
Everyone had a share.
County Princess Nanyan stood behind Princess Yunhua, her gaze fixed on Li Luan.
Li Luan seemed to be in a good mood, his peach-blossom eyes smiling, whispering with Li Yu. Whatever amusing things they were talking about made Li Yu unable to hold back his laughter, grinning widely.
County Princess Nanyan watched, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes, which quickly dissipated, leaving no trace.
Du Yunluo, however, saw everything clearly.
She understood County Princess Nanyan’s feelings. At this moment, how close the three cousins seemed, except for Li Luan, who already harbored rebellious thoughts. Who could have imagined that a few years later, things would turn out the way they did.
Prince Rui Li Xiang raised an army, Crown Prince Li Ke and the Holy Emperor defended the Capital, and Li Yu followed Prince Cheng Li Yuan to break through the encirclement at night, mobilizing tens of thousands of troops from the Capital Camp and other prefectures, forcing Li Luan to patricide and surrender.
In the Royal Family, affection is so thin.
The current brotherly affection is genuine, just as the future battles will be real.
Though clearly real, they all seem like reflections in a mirror or the moon on water.
The Holy Emperor returned to the main tent, with Princess Yunhua eagerly following.
Li Luan took off his armor, handed the quiver and longbow to the guard, and approached Nanyan, saying, "I heard from Huang Yun that your horse was startled?"
County Princess Nanyan smiled and said, "It frightened Huang Jie, but thankfully she was rescued in time, so she wasn’t injured."
Li Luan nodded, and after advising Nanyan to "be careful," he was called away by Li Ke.
Nanyan watched Li Luan walk away, her eyes filled with tender affection, only retracting her gaze when he was out of sight.
"Fool," Du Yunluo chuckled softly with her lips pursed.
County Princess Nanyan blushed and glanced at Du Yunluo twice, saying, "You still have the nerve to talk about me?"
Du Yunluo blinked. They were both in the same boat, so neither should make fun of the other. She changed the subject: "Do you want to handle the matter of Caiwei yourself?"
"It’s just a palace maid involved. Why drag him into it," County Princess Nanyan murmured.
Du Yunluo nodded.
The affairs of women are handled in women’s ways. Involving Li Luan in the dispute between Nanyan and the palace maids would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. More importantly, it would undoubtedly provoke Princess Yunhua, defeating the purpose.
Princess Yunhua accompanied the Holy Emperor during lunch.
County Princess Nanyan and Du Yunluo felt much more at ease, leisurely finished their meal, and then went to see Huang Jie together.
Huang Jie was lounging crookedly on the couch, her tears long dried, but her eyes still red and swollen.
Having been confined in the inner courtyard by her mother for years, not allowed to go out with her sisters to play, rarely exposed to the sun, her skin was very fair. After being frightened today, her entire face was pale, bloodless, making people worried when looking at her.
Upon seeing them, Huang Jie tried to sit up and offer a greeting, but County Princess Nanyan stopped her. She lowered her eyes and said, "It’s my fault. My poor riding skills could be overlooked, but I had to be brave, scaring Caiwei. Fortunately, Caiwei is fine, otherwise, I would really have felt guilty."
She had already heard; with so many people witnessing the morning’s disturbance with the horse, holding onto Caiwei’s neck, crying and shouting, what image could she have left?
Everyone was making fun of her for being useless, the daughter of General Huang, yet unable to ride a horse.
Even hiding in the tent, Huang Jie could imagine people’s expressions and tones, certainly pointing fingers at her. How would she get through these days?
County Princess Nanyan truly felt sorry. Huang Jie had suffered unjustly, the problem lay with Caiwei, but these matters weren’t something that could be openly discussed. She could only comfort Huang Jie for a while.
The more Huang Jie thought about it, the sadder she became, and with a few words from Nanyan and Du Yunluo, her nose turned sour and tears welled up in her eyes.
The three of them chatted for a while until Princess Yunhua came looking for someone, and then they dispersed.
After accompanying the Holy Emperor for lunch, Princess Yunhua returned to her tent. Having drunk some wine, her face was flushed, and she pointed at Qing Yan: "Quickly go and see if there is still no explanation from the stables?"
Qing Yan had only been serving since Suiyu was injured, and didn’t know what the princess wanted an explanation for. Not daring to ask the princess, she could only turn to look at Lu Chun.
Lu Chun hesitated, and seeing Qing Yan winking at her, suddenly came to realization. Her hand slipped, and she dropped the copper basin heavily on the ground.
The water in the basin was at the right temperature, not scalding, but it splashed and wet the princess’s hem.
Princess Yunhua raised her voice in exasperation: "Can’t you do anything right!"
Lu Chun, startled, ignored the pain in her foot and wet shoes, and knelt down with a thud, knocking her head, pleading: "Please calm your anger, Princess."
Comments