Xue Yingying’s Face Turned Pale
Night fell.
Lu Ronghuai was changing his clothes when Chu Yuan walked over.
“Your Highness, may this subject refrain from attending the welcoming banquet?”
Lu Ronghuai finished tying his belt and glanced back at him. “What is the matter?”
Chu Yuan said, “The hour is late, and banquet halls are heavy with candle smoke. This subject cannot bear the scent of candle wax. This subject hopes Your Highness will permit it.”
Lu Ronghuai walked up to him and raised a hand, tucking the loose strands of hair beside Chu Yuan’s ear behind it. His gaze rested gently upon him.
“This Prince had Xian Yu go to the Prefect while you were napping this afternoon. The banquet has been moved to the garden. The moonlight is excellent tonight. Ah-Yuan need not worry.”
Seeing that he had already made arrangements beforehand, warmth flowed through Chu Yuan’s heart, and he said no more.
After Chu Yuan finished changing his clothes, Lu Ronghuai considered for a moment and still placed that veiled hat upon Chu Yuan’s head.
Facing Chu Yuan’s puzzled expression, Lu Ronghuai only smiled and did not explain further.
Most of the guests attending tonight were officials and wealthy merchants of Ping Cheng. Their backgrounds were uncertain. Chu Yuan’s appearance was far too striking. Lu Ronghuai would never permit those people to stare at his wife.
The two stepped out and boarded the carriage, heading for the Prefect’s residence.
Prefect Zhang Ze was waiting at the gate. The carriage drew up before him.
“Your Highness, Prince Consort, the banquet is already prepared. Please follow this official.” He hurried forward and gestured respectfully for them to enter.
When he saw that Chu Yuan wore a veiled hat that concealed his face, he asked, “Could it be that the Prince Consort is not accustomed to the local climate?”
Lu Ronghuai clasped Chu Yuan’s hand, his expression indifferent. “Mind your own affairs. Lead the way.”
“Yes, yes. Your Highness, Prince Consort, this way please.” The Prefect gave an awkward laugh and quickly went ahead to lead them inside.
As they walked, Chu Yuan quietly surveyed the surroundings. The Prefect’s residence appeared simple everywhere. The garden scenery was spacious and sparse. There were no costly flowers or rare trees. The plants within the garden were common varieties, though carefully trimmed and arranged in orderly layers.
From within the garden came the faint sound of voices.
More than thirty people had arrived early at the Prefect’s residence, waiting there to receive Prince Li.
When they saw the Prefect entering with the newcomers, the tall figure with cold brows and eyes immediately drew attention. The various men of different shapes and sizes within the garden quickly rose and bowed together.
The performers waiting beside the banquet tables immediately began to play their instruments. The strings sounded soft and graceful, the tones harmonious.
Lu Ronghuai pulled Chu Yuan along and walked straight forward, taking the seat of honor without even glancing at the others.
The officials and merchants froze and could not help exchanging looks in secret.
What did Prince Li mean by this?
Had he come only to give them a display of authority?
Some among them grew displeased and frowned as they looked toward the Prefect.
The Prefect chuckled and swept a glance across the crowd before trotting back to his seat.
“Everyone, this is Prince Li. Beside him is the Prince Consort. Come, let us raise our cups to welcome His Highness!”
The Prefect bent to pick up a wine cup from the table. Before the smile and tone had even left his face, Lu Ronghuai spoke to stop him.
“This Prince has already given up wine.”
The Prefect: “...”
He forced another smile. “Then Your Highness may substitute tea for wine. Your Highness has traveled a long road to reach Ping Cheng and has come specially to resolve the bandit troubles for the people here. We are deeply grateful.”
After hearing this, Lu Ronghuai unexpectedly let out a short laugh, leaving them all bewildered.
“Do not expect this Prince to suppress the bandits. This Prince is heavily injured. Neither the external wounds nor the internal ones have fully healed. This Prince cannot help you.”
Everyone thought they had misheard.
The Prefect blinked several times and asked again to confirm. “Your Highness does not intend to suppress the bandits?”
Lu Ronghuai picked up a dish and placed it into Chu Yuan’s bowl, replying lazily, “Mm. Going through the motions will suffice. This Prince rarely comes here. Are there any interesting places around?”
The Prefect stared. “Interesting… places?”
“My beloved consort is traveling outside for the first time. Naturally this Prince must accompany him and let him enjoy himself.”
At once everyone looked toward the quiet figure seated beside him.
Beneath the veil, Chu Yuan wore a faint smile as he calmly withdrew his hand from a certain person’s grasp.
A plump merchant seated below suddenly burst into laughter. He stood up, his face flushed with enthusiasm.
“I have long heard that Prince Li is forthright and unrestrained by nature. Seeing Your Highness today, this journey has not been in vain.”
“This humble one is Dong Tianwen, owner of Ping Cheng’s silk shop. This humble one offers Your Highness a cup.”
He raised his wine cup and drank it down in one breath.
Beneath the table, Lu Ronghuai seized Chu Yuan’s hand again and even rubbed it shamelessly.
“Proprietor Dong has a fine capacity for drink. This Prince has only just arrived and knows nothing of the events here in Ping Cheng. In order to report to Father Emperor later, perhaps all of you might speak about these bandits.”
“What would Your Highness like to know?” the Prefect asked politely.
Lu Ronghuai propped his chin on his hand, asking with apparent curiosity, “This Prince wonders, under Father Emperor’s governance the people of Lu live in harmony and peace. From where have these bandits come?”
The merchants looked toward the Prefect.
The Prefect sighed deeply, his brows filled with worry.
“This official also does not know where they came from. This official only knows that they gathered on Niuqun Mountain outside the city. Their numbers have grown steadily, and they are extremely vicious, killing anyone they encounter. This official had no means to deal with them at the time and could only order the city gates sealed and defenses strengthened.”
Cheng Dawei, the owner of a grain shop, said, “Your Highness, this humble one’s shop was once plundered by those bandits. This humble one saw them personally. The way they spoke did not sound like people of Lu. It resembled the accent of the Qiang tribes of the western regions.”
The Western Qiang and the people of Lu did not differ much in appearance. The only distinction lay in their accent.
Lu Ronghuai feigned interest and raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Why would Western Qiang people come to Ping Cheng?”
“This humble one does not know, but this humble one guesses that Ping Cheng lies not far from the western frontier. Those Western Qiang infiltrated Lu and slaughtered our people with the intention of stirring chaos. Their intentions are malicious.”
The Prefect said, “Your Highness, when the mountain slide occurred on Niuqun Mountain, a group of bandits was buried as well. Only by capturing the remaining ones can the truth be discovered.”
Lu Ronghuai yawned lazily and suddenly leaned to the side, resting his head on Chu Yuan’s shoulder.
“This Prince is tired. Beloved consort, is there anything you wish to ask?”
Beyond the veil, many eyes turned toward Chu Yuan.
Chu Yuan’s expression remained composed as he spoke calmly. “Prefect, has Prince Qi been found?”
The Prefect revealed a sorrowful look. “Replying to the Prince Consort, not yet. General Fang has people digging in the mountains day and night. Several hundred corpses have already been recovered, yet Prince Qi has still not been found.”
“After the mountain slide ended, did anyone enter the mountains to search?”
“They were. Niuqun Mountain was severely damaged. Entering the mountains was extremely difficult. This official sent people to search for five days and turned the mountain over entirely, yet still no one was found.”
“Where are the bandits who survived now?”
The Prefect sighed. “After the mountain slide, they scattered and fled, hiding in various places. It is difficult to locate them.”
Chu Yuan nodded and turned his head slightly.
“Your Highness, this subject has finished asking.”
Lu Ronghuai lifted half of the veil and tilted his head up, planting a kiss upon Chu Yuan’s lips.
At that very moment the music ended, and the soft sound of the kiss was especially clear.
Everyone: “???”
The entire scene fell into silence. Faint sounds of inhaled breath rose from all around. Chu Yuan abruptly pushed him away.
The Prefect hurriedly stood and ordered the performers, “Continue playing. Why are you all standing there? Where are the dancers? Quickly come perform.”
Having successfully stolen a kiss, Lu Ronghuai rested his head contentedly in one hand. He paid no attention to the others and hooked Chu Yuan’s finger with his own little finger.
“Ah-Yuan’s lips are very soft.”
“Your Highness!” Chu Yuan’s small face tightened, sparks flickering in his eyes. “Your Highness behaves like this every time, ignoring the occasion. When you wish to kiss, you kiss. When you wish to embrace, you embrace. Has Your Highness ever asked whether this subject likes it?”
Lu Ronghuai paused.
He lowered his hand. His elbow accidentally struck the teacup on the table, overturning it. Tea spilled everywhere, quickly soaking his sleeve.
“Your Highness~ your clothes are wet.”
A soft, coquettish female voice suddenly sounded beside him.
A moment later a fragrant breeze swept over, and a perfumed embroidered handkerchief appeared before Lu Ronghuai.
Smelling the heavy fragrance, Lu Ronghuai frowned sharply and swung his hand in a strike.
“Ah!”
Xue Yingying cried out in pain. Her fingers loosened and the handkerchief fell onto the table, quickly soaked by the tea.
Clutching her reddened hand, she looked toward Lu Ronghuai with tearful eyes, her expression both aggrieved and sorrowful.
“Your Highness, this servant only wished to help wipe it. Your Highness struck this servant painfully.”
Her voice was soft and graceful, capable of stirring pity in any man who heard it. As Xue Yingying gazed at Prince Li’s handsome and dignified face, her heart seemed to race like a startled deer.
Xue Yingying had lived seventeen years, and this was the first time she had seen such a handsome man. For a moment her maiden heart trembled and ripples spread within it.
From childhood she had been taught various skills. With her outstanding dancing she had won first place and achieved great fame in Ping Cheng. Men were willing to spend fortunes on her and wished to share her bed, yet her standards were high. She had always lived by her talents, waiting for the husband she found most satisfactory.
The man before her, whether in bearing, identity, appearance, or physique, was the finest she had ever seen.
The moment she entered the garden, she had set her eyes on him.
If she could marry him, even if only as a concubine, she would be willing.
“Your Highness, this is the most talented and beautiful courtesan of Ping Cheng, Miss Xue Yingying. How is she? Her beauty is no worse than those of Ye Jing.”
Dong Tianwen stroked his chin proudly as he spoke.
Lu Ronghuai cast a cold glance toward Xue Yingying and snorted.
“Common rouge and vulgar powder, unworthy of the eye.”
Xue Yingying’s face turned pale.
Lu Ronghuai had no time to concern himself with her. His Ah-Yuan was still angry, and coaxing him was the most important matter.
“Ah-Yuan, I was wrong. I should not have done that just now. In the future, when I wish to kiss you, I will ask you first. All right?”
Chu Yuan’s voice was cool. “Your Highness should first deal with the matter at hand.”
“At present the only matter is between the two of us.”
Lu Ronghuai pushed the table forward with one hand, directly knocking Xue Yingying, who knelt across from the table, onto the ground.
Xue Yingying screamed and rolled across the ground. Her carefully applied makeup was smeared, and the jeweled hairpins in her hair scattered everywhere.
Moreover, she wore a thin gauze garment today that clung closely to her graceful figure, the pale skin at her chest almost bursting forth.
She lay on the ground in disarray. This time she truly began to cry.
With tear-filled eyes she looked toward Prince Li, unable to understand why this man was so utterly lacking in romantic sensibility.
Both aggrieved and angry, Xue Yingying could not help glancing toward the veiled man beside him.
In Ping Cheng, when wealthy households hosted banquets, they sometimes invited male companions from the pleasure houses to attend the guests. In the eyes of wealthy men these companions were merely playthings unfit for proper company, so they were made to cover their faces.
She mistakenly believed Chu Yuan to be someone of the same status as herself, assuming he was merely a male companion from Ping Cheng. Yet tonight she had been outdone by such a person. How could she endure this humiliation?
“Your Highness! In what way am I inferior to him?” Xue Yingying cried out.
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu-dog: Someone bring this blind young lady a pair of spectacles.
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