Chapter 69: Zhuo Qing Encounters Danger (1)

Qingxuan Hall

Outside the wooden carved windows were beautiful pear trees. Unfortunately, the flowering period had passed, and the beautiful pear blossoms were gone, but among the emerald green leaves, small, green, unripe fruits could be vaguely seen.

Inside the window, a stunningly beautiful figure leaned against the side of the bed, her eyes staring blankly at the pear trees outside. In her beautiful eyes, one could not tell if she was sad, angry, resentful, or pitiful. The light pink gauze in the room was very soft, playing with the leisurely breeze, but no one was in the mood to appreciate it.

The room was filled with servants kneeling on the ground, holding various delicacies, but the woman just looked out the window blankly.

How many days had it been? Ever since the Princess returned from the Prime Minister's Mansion, she had been like this. She didn't cry or make a scene, didn't speak or say anything. Whatever she was fed, she ate; other things she swallowed almost without chewing. Xiao Lian didn't dare let her eat too much or too hard, so she could only bring the ginseng soup to her mouth, choking with sobs, "Princess, drink some ginseng soup."

Yan Ruxuan's eyes remained fixed outside the window, her mouth opened unconsciously, swallowing the food sent into her mouth. After feeding her a few mouthfuls, Xiao Lian didn't dare to feed her anymore. No matter how much she was fed, she would eat it all, and before long, she would vomit it all out. Her originally delicate and moving face was now so thin that only skin and bones remained.

Handing the ginseng soup in her hand to the little palace maid behind her, Xiao Lian saw that the Empress Dowager had been standing behind them all along. Xiao Lian was startled and quickly knelt down to pay her respects, "May the Empress Dowager be blessed with ten thousand years of peace and good health."

Ignoring the servants kneeling on the ground, Yang Zhilan gently stroked Yan Ruxuan's pale and thin face, her heart aching unbearably. She had only this one daughter, whom she had carefully protected and doted on for many years. Today, she was actually haggard to this extent! How could she, as a mother, not feel pain!

Holding Yan Ruxuan in her arms, Yang Zhilan coaxed softly, "Xuan'er, what exactly do you want? As long as you say it, Mother will definitely find a way for you to get it!"

Did she want to marry Lou Xiyan? If this was the only way she could live, even if it meant forcing him, she would make Lou Xiyan marry her!

Yan Ruxuan seemed not to hear, still staring blankly out the window, showing no reaction to anyone or anything.

Seeing her like this, Yang Zhilan shook her shoulders with heartache, scolding in a choked voice, "Why are you so silly! Torturing yourself like this, the only one who feels heart pain is your mother!"

No matter how she shook or patted her, Yan Ruxuan remained silent like a puppet. Yang Zhilan held her bone-thin daughter in her arms, looking at the slightly blue sky outside, tears sliding down silently.

Heavens, why do you treat me like this?!

I have already lost one son, do you want me to lose a daughter too?!

What kind of grudge have I formed with the Lou family? First it was Lou Suxin, and now here comes Lou Xiyan! I hate this!

Xixia Palace

The hall was empty, with only Yang Zhilan sitting in the main seat, and Xiao Lian standing to the side with her head lowered.

"What exactly happened? Xuan'er only went to the Prime Minister's Mansion for one day, and she became like this?!"

Yang Zhilan's face was cold, a far cry from her usual kind appearance. Xiao Lian quickly knelt on the ground, weeping, "May the Empress Dowager uphold justice for the Princess, Prime Minister Lou is too bullying!"

It really was Lou Xiyan! Yang Zhilan secretly gritted her teeth, though her voice remained steady, "Speak freely."

Xiao Lian pondered to herself. It was all because of Lou Xiyan that the Princess had become like this, and she must not let him have it easy either! But as the Prime Minister of a country and the biological nephew of the Eastern Empress Dowager, even if she complained to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager probably couldn't do much to him!

Since he treasured that Qing Ling so much, she would make her die! Let him also know this kind of heart-wrenching feeling!

With a plan in mind, Xiao Lian lowered her head and said while crying, "After you left, Prime Minister Lou took Qing Ling back to Lanyue Lou. They clearly knew the Princess was in Zhaixing Pavilion, and could see the lotus pond in front of Lanyue Lou's courtyard at a glance, yet they deliberately didn't go inside, and were intimate in the courtyard. That woman had a smug look on her face, and the Princess couldn't help but cry once in her room."

After speaking, Xiao Lian deliberately paused, carefully raising her head to observe Yang Zhilan's expression. Her expression was still unhappy, but it hadn't become worse, and she just said coldly, "Continue."

Secretly gritting her teeth, was the Empress Dowager still not angry? Adding more effort, Xiao Lian distorted the facts even more and cried, "At night, the Princess had a nightmare and cried non-stop when she woke up. This servant went to Lanyue Lou to ask the Prime Minister to come and see, but Qing Ling actually wouldn't let the Prime Minister come. After waiting for a long time, the Prime Minister finally came, and even told the Princess that he wouldn't marry her, that he only liked Qing Ling, deeply hurting the Princess's heart. In the past, he wouldn't even say a harsh word to the Princess."

Finally, Xiao Lian simply threw herself on the ground, kowtowing while shouting, "Empress Dowager, it was all that woman who instigated and bewitched the Prime Minister, which is why the Princess was harmed like this. I beg the Empress Dowager to vent this resentment for the Princess!"

Yang Zhilan's eyes narrowed. Qing Ling didn't seem like such a stupid person. Could it be that she had misjudged her?! Regardless, Lou Xiyan's doting on her was evident, and she really shouldn't continue to live!

Even though she had already decided in her heart, Yang Zhilan only said lightly, "You also said she relies on Lou Xiyan's doting and doesn't put anyone in her eyes. If something were to happen to her, Lou Xiyan would not let it go."

This little girl was indeed loyal to Xuan'er, but whether she could be used by her depended on whether she was smart enough!

Was that what the Empress Dowager meant... Secretly guessing her intentions, Xiao Lian replied cautiously, "No one wants to harm her, it's just that there are always many unexpected accidents in this world."

A smile finally appeared on the corner of her mouth. Yang Zhilan nodded and smiled lightly, "Yes, accidents are always unavoidable."

Zhaixing Pavilion

Ever since Yan Ruxuan moved out, Zhuo Qing had moved back in. Gu Yun had gone to suppress bandits, the case was over, and she had returned to her boring life. Lying on the soft bed, she didn't want to get up, staring blankly at the curtains. What should she do in the future? Spend the whole day doing nothing but admiring flowers, playing Go, catching butterflies, and reciting poetry? Just thinking about it, Zhuo Qing couldn't help but laugh. Not everyone could live the life of a young mistress, and she certainly couldn't!

While her mind was wandering, a rapid knocking on the door gave her a big fright!

Zhuo Qing frowned. Ordinary maids would never dare to knock on the door like this, and Lou Xiyan wouldn't either. Who could it be? Lifting the quilt, Zhuo Qing walked to the window and looked out into the courtyard through the thin window paper. A group of women stood in the courtyard, and the women standing at the back were holding trays, but she couldn't see what was on them. The leader was actually Lou Xiwu?!

Zhuo Qing was puzzled, but she still opened the door and asked, "What are you doing so early in the morning?"

Lou Xiwu walked into the room with her head held high, and more than a dozen women followed her in. Lou Xiwu raised her hand slightly, and several women in their thirties immediately crowded around, pulling at her clothes with their hands and feet.

When she was sleeping, she was only wearing a thin layer of undergarments. With their pulling, Zhuo Qing was almost exposed. Grabbing her collar, Zhuo Qing said anxiously, "Hey! What are you doing!"

The women ignored her shouting and continued to strip her clothes. Zhuo Qing couldn't bear it anymore, grabbed the wrists of two women who were pulling her clothes, and shouted coldly, "If you don't stop, I'll take action!"

The two women felt pain and let out a low cry. The other women around saw Zhuo Qing's slightly angry look and all took a step back, not daring to pull her clothes anymore.

Shaking off the two women's hands, Zhuo Qing walked up to Lou Xiwu, glared at her fiercely, and hummed coldly, "Lou Xiwu, you'd better give me an explanation, otherwise I won't be polite to you!"

Lou Xiwu took a small step back, but still replied righteously, "I came here today for two things! First, you weren't home for the past two days, but big brother has already publicly announced at home that he is going to marry you. I don't know what he's in such a hurry for, but the time is very tight, and I was unlucky enough to be assigned by big brother to prepare your wedding dress." She didn't want to come and provoke her either! But big brother had just handed this matter to her and only gave her one month.

She had just been using a chicken feather as an arrow, who knew Qing Ling had such a bad temper!

Pointing to the women who had just been scared back to the side, Lou Xiwu said, "They are the masters of the Qiansi Pavilion, the best embroidery workshop in Qiongyue. Now they need to take your measurements. Within a month, they must rush to make you a set of wedding attire that is no less than what is used for royal weddings, so you'd better cooperate, otherwise, many people will be unlucky if it's not finished in time."

Zhuo Qing was stunned. She had heard Lou Xiyan say a couple of days ago that they would get married soon, and she thought he was joking. At the very least, he should wait until he finished the celebration matters before starting preparations. Looking at this posture, he intended to get married before the celebration?!

Seeing Zhuo Qing silent, Lou Xiwu also mentioned the second thing, "There are several ready-made clothes here. Try them on later and choose one. We are going to the palace for a banquet this afternoon."

Glancing at the layers of clothes on the tray, as well as the colorful jewelry paired with them, Zhuo Qing asked in confusion, "Why do I have to go to the palace?"

"Your name was mentioned in the Empress Dowager's imperial decree, so you must go." Because of this, the second madam had been angry for a long time, because she had never had the opportunity to be invited to the palace on such an occasion. Seeing her stomping her feet in anger made her happy.

Zhuo Qing felt a vague sense of unease. Why would the Empress Dowager summon her to the palace for no reason? Could it be related to Yan Ruxuan? Or did Lou Xiyan know something, which was why he was in such a hurry to get married?

Lost in her own thoughts again, by the time Zhuo Qing came back to her senses, those women had already skillfully taken her measurements, and Lou Xiwu was comparing those clothes and jewelry on her.

Zhuo Qing hadn't felt anything until she picked them up, but once they were compared to her body, Zhuo Qing rolled her eyes directly. None of those clothes were without layers upon layers, inside and out. In this hot weather, was this meant to kill her?! Glancing at the gold and jade tassel hair accessories on Lou Xiwu's head that probably weighed ten pounds, and her exaggerated lake-blue gold-embroidered long dress, Zhuo Qing laughed lowly, "Going to the palace is one thing, but why dress up like a Christmas tree? It's not like I haven't been to the palace before. Take all these things away, I have clothes to wear."

Lou Xiwu didn't understand what a Christmas tree was, but she could tell Zhuo Qing was mocking her outfit. Grabbing a golden fairy dress and stuffing it into Zhuo Qing's hand, Lou Xiwu hummed, "This trip to the palace is different from usual. For the sake of my brother and the Prime Minister's Mansion, you must wear it!"

Lou Xiwu's behavior today was a bit strange. Zhuo Qing didn't argue with her and said directly, "Explain clearly."

Sitting on a wooden chair nearby, Lou Xiwu said excitedly, "Qiongyue's triennial prayer celebration is not only a grand event for Qiongyue, but also a grand event for the Six Kingdoms Continent. At that time, merchants, dignitaries, high-ranking officials, and even royal relatives from all countries will come to Qiongyue to offer congratulations. You might even see acquaintances from the Haoyue Kingdom."

Zhuo Qing frowned, "Get to the point!" If she kept rambling like this, who knows when she would finish!

Pouting, Lou Xiwu replied, "The point is that performances are naturally indispensable at the celebration. The people sent by various countries at that time are not simple characters. As the head of the Six Kingdoms, Qiongyue must not lose face in front of others. It is inevitable that they will select the women with the best appearance and talent in the country to perform, and the descendants of famous families and daughters of noble families are naturally the first choice. The purpose of this palace banquet is for the two Empress Dowagers to select ten talented and beautiful young ladies to be on standby to ensure that the celebration performance is foolproof."

So this afternoon was a beauty pageant! Zhuo Qing laughed at herself, "What does this have to do with me?" When it came to appearance, she was disfigured; when it came to talent, she only knew how to perform autopsies. What was she going there for?!

Although Lou Xiwu was also puzzled as to why the Empress Dowager would let Qing Ling go, the imperial decree had already been issued, and she had no choice. Lou Xiwu smiled, "You are now a member of the Lou family, so it has something to do with you. Since the Empress Dowager has specifically named you to go, it has something to do with you!"

"SHIT!" Zhuo Qing cursed lowly.

"What does that mean?" She had said several words she didn't understand today, and Lou Xiwu was very curious.

Zhuo Qing stared at the heavy, gorgeous clothes and jewelry in her hand and replied powerlessly, "You wouldn't want to know!"

Was she really going to dress herself up as a Christmas tree?! NO!

Throwing the clothes to Lou Xiwu, Zhuo Qing raised her eyebrows lightly and smiled, "I can wear them, but I decide how to wear them!"

Imperial Garden

Green shade, trees and shrubs, and clusters of flowers were Zhuo Qing's first impression of the Imperial Garden, but after a while, she felt a bit dizzy. She finally understood why Lou Xiwu wanted to dress herself up as a Christmas tree, because if you were wearing plain clothes at this time, you would truly be an alien!

Zhuo Qing secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, she only cut off a part of the hem of the long, trailing skirt. She only wore three layers of the original five-layer skirt, and took off half of the gold hairpins on her head, but the basic elements like gold headwear, jade bracelets, and tassel hairpins were all there. Overall, it wasn't too abrupt.

The further she went, the more Zhuo Qing marveled. The room was full of colorful silks and satins, jewelry and gold ornaments, which dazzled her eyes. The scene before her could be described as a sea of beauties, each as beautiful as a flower, but it was a different kind of torture for the eyes!

It really lived up to the saying that there were too many flowers to look at. She could barely tell what they looked like. Of course, there were also women like her with unhappy expressions, who were probably forced to come for various reasons.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 70 =====