Chapter 637

Li Cannan carried the food box in both hands, bowed as she exited the palace, and after straightening her back, she stood stunned before the palace gate for a moment.

The edge of her vision took in the hems of the robes of the eunuchs standing guard before the gate, and she suddenly felt as if several gazes were fixed upon her; yet when she looked up, the few blue-clad eunuchs were indeed just standing there with their heads lowered respectfully.

She remained silent for a moment, then glared fiercely at each of them, let out a heavy "Hmph," turned around, and strode away from there.

Her elder brother entering the palace today was something the Ming Ming Niangniang had been talking about for the past two days; after entering the palace, he would stay temporarily in the Linde Palace, a palace that was maintained with great care even if no one returned to live in it for years, and the rarest flowers and trees brought into the palace each year were always moved into this palace.

Li Cannan had actually not seen her elder brother many times.

From the time she had memories, "elder brother" was studying at the Tianli Academy, and by the time she had grown up quite a bit, she still hadn't seen him; only that vague impression gradually became more and more unattainable, following phrases like "Heart of Knowing Fate," "Person who studies the 'I Ching'," and "Number One in Qilin Blood" spoken by those around her.

When she was about six or seven years old, she saw him for the first time; that was indeed a very clean and quiet figure, unlike anyone else in the palace. He wore plain clothes and cloth shoes, yet he seemed to be even more high and mighty than all the other imperial brothers.

She walked up timidly to tug at the corner of his robe, stood on tiptoe to hand him the paper scroll she was holding, and because she had heard that her elder brother was studying at the Tianli Academy and probably didn't like flower balls or wooden horses, she had chosen her best piece of calligraphy and painting to make friends with him.

She remembered that she had tilted her head very high at that time, but she still couldn't see his face clearly in the shadows under the sunlight. Her elder brother seemed to have lowered his head toward her, perhaps for only an instant or a glance, and then he turned his head straight, removed her hand, and waved his hand at her.

Perhaps at that very moment, she realized that they were in two different worlds.

Soon, the tutor led her away, sternly warning her not to disturb her elder brother.

Li Cannan didn't have many memories of things from her childhood; some people could remember many past events clearly, but she was the type who easily forgot unpleasant things, only this one segment she remembered inexplicably clearly.

At that time, the Qilin Blood test had already passed, and she was ranked at the very bottom; she hadn't really understood what had happened yet, but many of the gentle adults around her either disappeared or no longer paid attention to her, and the sleeping palace suddenly became very cold and clear.

At that time, she was thinking all day about finding a playmate to read storybooks with, and it was probably only after this incident happened that she began to realize something in a dazed and ignorant way.

Subsequent meetings were only during the New Year or some sacrificial ceremonies; she and that plain-clothed figure were always far apart, so there were even fewer opportunities to speak. Most of the time, it was because her mother felt that using servants to deliver things seemed to neglect family affection, so she sent her to deliver them to her elder brother.

Just like now.

The Linde Palace was not far from the Penglai Palace, and Li Cannan soon arrived; there were indeed blue-clad eunuchs standing guard before the gate.

After she sent word for them to announce her, she entered, and as usual, she did not see her elder brother's figure. The entire vast palace was maintained with such care, yet it was so cold and clear. She placed the warm food box on the table, bowed respectfully, and backed out of this palace.

Then she straightened her back, and this time there really were gazes fixed upon her; a team of palace maids was passing by from the side, carrying things used for the banquet.

Li Cannan subconsciously straightened her waist first, lifted her chin slightly, and more clearly assumed the posture of having just walked out of the palace gate. Today, everyone knew that someone was living in the Linde Palace, but she was probably the only one who could enter.

Then she turned her head slightly, but she was slightly stunned; the maid with the severed limb from last night also appeared in her field of vision, standing to the side, waiting for this team of palace maids to leave first.

The Linde Palace was a place that had been uninhabited for years, and Li Cannan hadn't expected to see her here either. She hadn't decided what posture to take yet, but she saw that they had started arguing over there.

The leading palace maid withdrew her gaze from her, then turned her head and seemed to say something. The maid with the severed limb suddenly raised her head and grabbed her. The two sides argued for a few sentences, and the leading palace maid slapped her face fiercely with one palm, hitting her so hard she almost stumbled.

But she immediately twisted her body and turned her head back, glaring at her as if to pounce on her, but the next moment she was held back by the other palace maids, and only the leading palace maid continued to say something unhurriedly.

Li Cannan looked at that flushed face, the body struggling and twisting among seven or eight pairs of pulling arms, just like a little bird trapped in a net.

She was stunned for a moment and said, "Hey, let her go."

The palace maids turned their heads, seemingly all a bit surprised, their gazes cast toward the leading palace maid. This head palace maid hurriedly bowed and saluted: "This servant is Qing'er from the Penglai Palace, wishing the Eighth Highness peace."

"... Oh, no need for formalities." Li Cannan looked at her, probably finding her somewhat familiar, lowered her eyes and said, "Go back to your business."

"Eighth Highness, this person bumped into the team for no reason, and what we are carrying is all for the Ming Ming Niangniang..."

"Mm, I know, you all go." Li Cannan interrupted.

The line of palace maids saluted and retreated. Li Cannan turned her head back; the Meng'er in front of her had her hair and face groomed, but it had become disheveled again in the pulling just now. She stared blankly at the empty space; that slap had been very heavy, and the bloodstains on her face had almost seeped out.

"... Did you tell Li Youlong what I said to you yesterday?" Li Cannan was silent for a moment, lifted her chin slightly and said, "Why are you always wandering around the palace alone?"

Meng'er looked at Li Cannan in front of her, was slightly stunned, then lowered her head to gather her sleeves and skirt, performed a salute, and unexpectedly revealed a very sweet smile again: "Many thanks to the Eighth Highness for the rescue, Meng'er is deeply grateful."

Then she turned around and headed toward the west.

Forgot that someone was living in the Linde Palace today; choosing to walk from here was a wrong choice.

Meng'er sighed lightly, pursed her lips and gripped the small iron skewer in her sleeve, and applied the coldness she had borrowed from above to her face.

Her mind had indeed been a bit unclear these past few days, because she had been thinking all night, feeling uneasy, and handling things had been a bit hazy; no wonder every time they met, Master Pei always looked at her with the gaze of looking at a fool.

If only she also had that legendary True Qi, her spirit could be much more lifted, and her actions could be faster... but... that way, perhaps it wouldn't work instead.

If everything could be done very easily, how could sincerity be shown?

Meng'er followed the path she had walked many times, the path she had discovered alone, and climbed the Mingyue Mountain step by step. Today, the snow had melted almost completely, and the mountain road was as quiet as ever.

In Master Pei's imagination, this was probably a very difficult and arduous process; it was indeed so. It was fine when the wooden limbs were walking, but it was painful and tiring when climbing the mountain or going down the steps. Every day when she walked up or down, she always gritted her teeth and broke into a sweat.

But as mentioned before, without pain and difficulty, how could sincerity be shown?

So she actually liked this process of climbing the mountain alone very much; it seemed as if the whole world only had her moving forward and the Mingyue Palace waiting there. Every pain that her body produced made her heart feel a bit more grounded.

Compared to that world outside that really would bring meaningless pain, this was the place she liked.

When she climbed to the Mingyue Palace, it was almost noon. Although the door lock had been cut off by Master Pei that day, Meng'er still tied the iron chain well every day when she left. Now she untied the iron chain and pushed the door open; the old "creak" became the first sound here.

Then came the "thump-thump" sound of wooden limbs hitting the ground. The maid walked to the front of the palace, stood still, pressed her palms together, and said softly: "Ming Ming Niangniang, I have come again. Today the palace is holding a private banquet, Young Master Yongji is going to meet with all the Highnesses, and it should be after tonight that the person to be married will be chosen. However, it shouldn't be changeable once it's truly set until the engagement."

In the Mingyue Palace, only the cloth curtains fluttered lightly. Meng'er tilted her head and was quiet for a moment, then continued to say in a low voice: "Ming Ming Niangniang, I don't know if you can hear me. Everyone says you are kind-hearted and have great supernatural powers, a person like a deity. Meng'er thanks you for your grace. After the Highness and Meng'er leave, I will definitely build a temple and set up a shrine for you."

After speaking, she smiled to herself first, and she didn't feel the pain of the palm print on her face anymore. She closed her eyes and sniffed, as if she could smell some beautiful scent, and even her gait became lighter. The crisp "thump-thump" tapped on the ground, and she swayed as she walked out of the palace.

Once again arriving at the ice surface of the Jingchi, this time there was no flame from Master Pei to warm her body, and naturally she didn't dare to light a fire. She came to the side of the ice hole she had been tapping all along, sat down, picked up the stone beside her, and took out the iron skewer that had already been warmed.

The dull, monotonous tapping sounded one after another on the Jingchi.

"Ming Ming Niangniang, after I chisel open this Jingchi, I will have to search the entire Mingyue Palace." After a long while, Meng'er muttered to herself.

The dull chiseling sounded again for a while.

"So the secret passage you left behind must only be under this. But I can't swim, and I'm afraid I'll have to ask the Highness... or Master Pei to help get it when the time comes. I hope you will also open a door for them." Meng'er continued to mutter to herself, "After the Highness has a way to wash away the Qilin Blood, we will go and discuss it with the current Ming Ming Niangniang, and she won't block us anymore. Even if, even if Young Master Yongji suddenly doesn't like the Highness anymore, then we can go to other places..."

She panted and sat down on the ground, rubbed her sore wrists, looked up at the sky, and her eyes shone with a bright light.

"... It's so good to have you, Ming Ming Niangniang." After resting for a moment, Meng'er knelt up again. Once she became tired again, all the fatigue and pain left in her body from the past few days surged up together.

But Meng'er was already used to this feeling. She started chiseling again, sweat flowed down from her forehead and quickly froze. After a while, she began to hum a faint tune in her mouth.

"... Sending plum blossoms... where? Lotus flowers... clear as water..."

In the entire old palace and desolate mountain, there was only her voice.

Approximately after noon, Seeing Pei Ye parted ways with Li Wuyan, took her small fishing rod amid the girl's earnest exhortations, and returned to the palace. Li Xizhou had already groomed her hair and face.

She had no intention of changing her attire; she was still in that red dress, and she didn't seem prepared to take off the gold mask even on such an occasion.

And since the master didn't request it, Seeing Pei Ye wouldn't choose any attire even more. Li Xizhou looked at him for a moment, seemingly wanting to give some instructions, but finally gave up, letting him follow behind in his sword suit.

"If we see Yu Sicheng in a while, Highness, please ask him a few more questions; I can observe him more and verify some conjectures." Seeing Pei Ye said.

Li Xizhou looked at him: "At the banquet, I am the master, and you are the attendant. Toward those of equal or higher status, I will speak personally; toward those of lower status, I will instruct, and you will speak."

"... Oh." Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a moment, "The main thing is, I'm worried that if I speak, he won't pay attention to me."

"Then have you ever thought about what if he doesn't pay attention to me."

"That would be quite embarrassing."

"So I say."

Seeing Pei Ye looked around to see if there was anything fan-shaped, and his gaze finally fell on the Qiongju Garden: "I'm actually a bit puzzled. If the matter of marriage is decided by the Ming Ming Niangniang's word, why is Yongji pushing this matter at this time? Is it that he doesn't have the ability to decide, or is there some other preparation? Can he go against the Ming Ming Niangniang's order just by being close to Li Youlong?"

Li Xizhou was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned her head to look at him: "... Seeing Pei Ye."

"Mm?"

"How do you think this marriage should be handled?"

"... I think?" Seeing Pei Ye was stunned, "What, how to handle it?"

"What kind of result do you hope for? In your heart." Li Xizhou turned her head back, her long hair swaying slightly in the wind, "What do you think is best."

'Marriage, of course, is for lovers to finally be together.'

Seeing Pei Ye thought, but where are there any lovers here?

"... For us, it's best if Yongji doesn't marry anyone." Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a moment, "First, we can't let him marry Li Youlong; second, it's best to stir up Li Cannan's as well. No matter how faint the Qilin Blood is, it's still Qilin Blood. If the Prince of Yan wants it, we'll make sure he doesn't get any of it."

"But for me, Meng'er is my friend, and I hope her wish can come true." He added.

"... That's really a dream like a fairy tale." Li Xizhou smiled faintly.

"Yes, but without that fairy tale, she wouldn't know what to do."

Li Xizhou turned her head to look at the vast ice surface, dazzling under the sunlight, and didn't speak.

"What about Highness? What are your thoughts on this marriage?" Seeing Pei Ye asked from behind.

"..."

"Highness?"

Li Xizhou was truly silent for a long while this time, turned her face, and this gold mask was still very cold and hard, and her eyes were still very beautiful.

She sighed lightly: "Don't laugh at me... I just hope that a fairy tale can also grow on this land."