Troublemaker Prince C39
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 39
After Su Yingying picked up the letter that had been delivered via stone, the palace servants from Jianjia Palace had already informed Consort Xian about what had happened in the Imperial Garden.
Consort Xian took a light sip of the rose dew tea sent up by her subordinates—a drink meant for beauty and skin care—and spoke with a smile. "Twenty years have passed, and the Imperial Noble Consort truly hasn't changed at all. She's indeed a girl raised by a country bumpkin, with short-sighted views, completely unlike her half-brother from a different mother."
Yet this fool had somehow fought her to a standstill. If it weren't for that Prime Minister father of hers, if it weren't for His Majesty's favoritism, she would have joined the late Empress in the underworld long ago.
"I really don't know how she thinks she can compare to the late Empress," Consort Xian said indifferently. "However, the words she said to Su Yingying have pushed the girl toward us."
"Go open my makeup case, pick out something girls would like, and send it to the Princess Consort of Wu as consolation," Consort Xian instructed.
"Yes." The palace servant who had come to report immediately complied, and when delivering pastries to Su Yingying, also brought along a precious and beautiful piece of jewelry.
The moment Su Yingying saw this jewelry, she knew that Consort Xian had learned everything. She could only offer words of gratitude and quietly accept the jewelry.
After sitting in the Imperial Garden for a while, Su Yingying said to Xiao Yue beside her: "It's about time, we should go."
After princes came of age and established their own residences, they could no longer remain in the palace, and each time they entered the palace they couldn't stay long. Su Yingying estimated the time was right and returned to Jianjia Palace to wait and bid farewell to Consort Xian together with Prince Wu, You Yushan.
"Good child, come visit me in the palace more often. If Shan'er treats you poorly, I'll discipline him for you," Consort Xian said, holding Su Yingying's hand.
Su Yingying shyly lowered her head and said, "Mother Consort, rest assured, His Highness treats me very well."
Consort Xian smiled. "That's good then."
Su Yingying lowered her head without speaking. Others only thought she was being shy, but she was no fool. After receiving the letter on the stone, she had already formed suspicions about the entire matter. If there was another truth to the Spring Banquet incident, then the one most likely to have ruined her reputation was someone from the Third Prince's faction.
However, she had no evidence. Her grandfather hadn't been able to find evidence for her either, and the evidence presented by His Majesty and the Court of Judicial Administration all pointed to the First Prince as the culprit. The real evidence was in the hands of the letter's owner. If she wanted proof and justice, she had to go meet that little beggar mentioned in the letter.
Now, watching the person who had once tried to harm her act warmly and affectionately toward her, putting on a show of gentle kindness, Su Yingying only felt her hair stand on end.
After leaving the palace, Su Yingying and You Yushan boarded the carriage together. She looked at her newlywed husband beside her and said, "The day after tomorrow is the return visit. Will Your Highness accompany me?"
Three days after the wedding, when the bride returned home, the groom had to accompany her, otherwise it would show that he didn't value the bride and her family.
The You Yushan of the past particularly detested such social obligations, but now, having been instructed by Consort Xian, he naturally wouldn't refuse Su Yingying. He simply said, "Naturally."
Hearing this, Su Yingying smiled and said, "I've learned to make lotus pastries at home. When Your Highness returns with me, I'll make them for you."
In fact, Su Yingying didn't know how to make any lotus pastries at all. She had never even entered a kitchen. She was only saying this to make her sudden disappearance the day after tomorrow less abrupt.
"Good." Seeing her docile appearance, You Yushan was naturally happy to play along with this act of deep marital affection.
Compared to Su Yingying's false happiness, Li Xiyue's situation was harsh reality.
After leaving the palace, Li Xiyue had been placed under house arrest by You Yuyi. She was confined to a remote courtyard with a group of sturdy matrons assigned to guard her, while it was announced to the outside that the Princess Consort of Yan was ill.
Seeing this, Li Xiyue was both shocked and furious. She continuously pounded on the door, demanding that You Yuyi let her out.
"Let me out! My grandfather is the Minister of Justice, I'm the Empress Dowager's grandniece, you can't treat me like this!"
Li Xiyue repeated these words over and over, but all she received in return was mockery from the matrons outside the door.
"Still think you're the eldest Miss of the Li family? Go ask at the Li family's gate whether they still recognize you as a Li family young lady."
"Nonsense, nonsense, you're talking nonsense!"
"My parents love me so much!"
Li Xiyue didn't believe these matrons' words at all. Since childhood, she had been the pearl in the Li family's palm. Her grandfather doted on her, her parents doted on her, her brothers and sisters all gave way to her. There was nothing she wanted that she couldn't have. Someone so favored—how could they not want her?
But after a very long time passed, no one from the Li family came. The Grand Princess didn't come either. No one came at all.
Li Xiyue collapsed to the ground, and looking at the sky that had already turned dark, she belatedly realized that she seemed to have been abandoned by everyone.
Actually, after her premarital pregnancy came to light, the Li family's attitude toward her had changed. She had just thought that her grandfather and parents were too angry, which was why they treated her that way.
The details of the wedding escort slowly came back to her memory, making it crystal clear that she had been completely abandoned by her clan.
Her parents no longer wanted her. They had given her a sufficient dowry and swept her out the door. She had completely lost the protection of her family.
As for the Grand Princess, she didn't care about her at all. She had merely used her as a chess piece to attack the First Prince. When she stood on the Grand Princess's side wanting to seek justice, she had already lost any foothold in Prince Yan's residence.
Li Xiyue's eyes were vacant. Too late, too late—she had understood everything too late.
The next moment, Li Xiyue reached out to touch her abdomen. There had once been a living life here, but now it was gone.
She had been blinded by the joy of being able to marry the man she loved, completely failing to notice that this man was deceiving her in the name of love.
She should have known! Should have known earlier!
Li Xiyue bit her lip tightly and looked down at her abdomen. Whether it was the Grand Princess or the First Prince, she would make them all pay!
Just then, the matron pushed open the door and said without courtesy. "Princess Consort, time to take your medicine."
"No, no, I won't drink it," Li Xiyue struggled.
"It's not up to you whether you drink it or not. This is medicine the Imperial Noble Consort personally obtained for you. It's guaranteed to make you sick and confused, and you'll be completely dead from illness within two years." The matron was strong and directly forced the medicine into Li Xiyue's mouth.
Half the medicine was forced down before the struggling Li Xiyue knocked it to the ground with her hand.
The white porcelain bowl shattered everywhere, and the remaining medicinal soup all spilled on the floor.
Seeing this, the matron cursed and hurried out to call people to clean up the mess.
Li Xiyue, who had been thrown to the ground, thought of something. She quickly hid a shard of the broken porcelain bowl, then pretended to faint on the floor.
That night, Prince Yan's residence was in complete chaos, but the Eastern Palace was exceptionally peaceful.
You Yusui, as usual, removed his shoes and socks and allowed Huo Xiling to wash his feet. His fair and delicate feet soaked in the hot water like beautiful jade, white with a faint tinge of pink showing through.
"I remember the first time we met, you were also watching me wash my feet, weren't you?" You Yusui extended one foot out of the water and gently lifted Huo Xiling's chin. "When I did this to you back then, were you very angry?"
Huo Xiling's ears turned red all at once. How could he tell His Highness that his mind had been full of chaotic thoughts at the time?
Seeing Huo Xiling's reddened ears, You Yusui, as if discovering something fun, couldn't help but use his slightly cool hands to pinch Huo Xiling's ears.
"Your Highness, stop fooling around." Huo Xiling picked up a cotton cloth to wipe You Yusui's feet dry, then carried him to the bed in the inner chamber.
The bedding was warm, carrying the scent of sunshine. You Yusui couldn't help but reach out and pull Huo Xiling close, wanting him to sleep with him.
Huo Xiling sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at You Yusui, explaining, "Your Highness, tonight I'm patrolling the Eastern Palace."
As a senior official of the Crown Prince’s household, Huo Xiling commanded the Eastern Palace guards, so naturally he had to be responsible for patrolling and night watch duties.
You Yusui wanted to order Huo Xiling to stay with him, but seeing Huo Xiling's serious expression, he knew in his heart that Huo Xiling took this matter very seriously.
"Fine, but you must come back early," You Yusui said.
Huo Xiling touched You Yusui's head and said, "I'm only responsible for the first half of the night. I'll come back to accompany Your Highness in the second half."
Having said that, Huo Xiling tucked You Yusui in and left carrying his sword to patrol.
In front of the Eastern Palace gates, over a hundred guards wearing armor stood there. The moment they saw Huo Xiling appear, they all instantly tensed up.
They had originally thought that being guards at the Crown Prince's residence would be easy work. Who knew the training would be even harsher than the Mobei army? Especially Huo Xiling, who practically trained them to death, saying only this way could they properly protect His Highness the Crown Prince.
They had thought they wouldn't need to go into battle, so they wanted Huo Xiling to ease up on the training. The result was direct suppression—over a hundred of them attacking together couldn't beat one half-grown youth. It was embarrassing to even mention, but this actually made them respect Huo Xiling even more.
"Let's go." Huo Xiling held up a lantern, glanced at the guards, and said.
As soon as he spoke, the guards immediately moved in a well-trained manner.
After the first half of the night's patrol ended, Huo Xiling immediately returned to the Crown Prince's room.
However, the Crown Prince was already fast asleep. Huo Xiling didn't dare get into bed for fear of waking him, so he prepared to make do for half the night on the couch where he used to sleep.
After Huo Xiling closed his eyes, everything returned to darkness. Then he felt as if his soul had left his body and arrived at an extremely desolate place.
There were graves of various sizes here, with tombstones all bearing the character "Xie." Huo Xiling drifted past the graves, not knowing why he had appeared in this place.
Until suddenly his body stopped uncontrollably before a tombstone. It was a new grave, with vermillion characters still very bright, but the name on it pierced his eyes painfully.
The tombstone read:
[Tomb of beloved grandson You Yusui, erected with tears by maternal grandfather Xie Yi.]
How could this be? In that moment, seeing those characters, Huo Xiling's entire body trembled.
Just then, funeral music sounded, and a group of people dressed in white mourning clothes came bearing a coffin.
The leaders were none other than Xie Tan and Xie Ling. Xie Tan's perpetually cold face showed a sorrowful expression, while Xie Ling was crying his eyes out.
With Xie Ling's cry of "Grandfather," it was like a thunderclap exploding.
Huo Xiling stared woodenly. Lying inside the coffin was Lord Xie.