Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Was it a deliberate act to feign this internal conflict, intended to dispel hostility?
Or was the interaction between the Third Prince and the Shangyang Princess simply unique, where they couldn't be happy without stabbing each other in the back?
Ye Xiaohan pondered in her heart, speculating about the true intentions behind it all.
Murong Jing glanced at her and said, "No need to guess. I’ll tell you. When I saw how you interacted with Gu Bei, I realized my foolish sister would never interfere between you two. Rather than letting her get deeper into trouble and eventually entangle herself, it's better to decisively cut off her thoughts now."
Ye Xiaohan was surprised to learn that Murong Jing had such thoughts; everything earlier was merely to protect his sister from greater harm.
She felt a mix of surprise and warmth. Even though the Third Prince was secretly mocked as the Rebellious Prince by those in the capital, he still held genuine affection for his family.
The bond he shared with the Queen resembled a typical mother-son relationship, devoid of the scheming found in palace dramas, and he showed great care for the Shangyang Princess as well.
Though his methods might be somewhat blunt.
"Well, what should I say at this moment?" Ye Xiaohan blinked. "Should I thank you or apologize for disappointing the princess?"
Murong Jing chuckled, "Neither is necessary. Saving you was merely a matter of convenience; it wasn't something I did intentionally. As for Shangyang, I've moved on. Feelings are between two people, and since Shangyang was the third to appear, she has no place here; others can't be blamed for that."
Ye Xiaohan stared at Murong Jing, her eyes sparkling. "Third Prince, this is my first time realizing how understated yet luxurious and profound you are. Those outside are simply blind, unable to see your merits."
"Oh? Is that so? Then I truly appreciate your discerning eye," Murong Jing replied. "If only your eloquence could be applied to cooking instead, I would be even more pleased."
Ye Xiaohan laughed, "Alright! I'll cook for you as soon as we go out!"
The two shared a laugh as they walked towards the palace exit when a figure hurriedly approached them.
"Xiao Han!"
It was Gu Bei, finally released after being detained by the emperor for an hour.
As soon as Gu Bei stepped out of the Imperial Study, he hurried towards the inner palace. After finally shaking off the Eunuch who had escorted him out, he rushed in this direction, only to find Ye Xiaohan and Murong Jing coming out together just a few steps later.
The atmosphere between them seemed quite harmonious. Ye Xiaohan wore a bright smile, and even the usually hot-tempered Murong Jing appeared surprisingly calm, even exuding a hint of joy. If anyone from the palace had seen them, they would likely have thought they were imagining things.
Of course, Ye Xiaohan was feeling relieved after narrowly escaping a crisis and discovering that Murong Jing was actually a caring person. She felt she had gained another friend and was quite pleased about it.
On the other hand, Murong Jing's tranquility stemmed entirely from the anticipation of delicious food awaiting him, radiating a natural sense of happiness associated with being a foodie.
However, to outsiders, it looked like the two were enjoying each other's company. This was especially true in the eyes of a certain man who had recently become increasingly jealous.
“Xiao Han, are you alright?” Gu Bei stepped forward to assess her condition, checking if she was hurt. Seeing Ye Xiaohan looking fine eased his worries significantly, but another sour feeling began to take root within him.
Ye Xiaohan looked at Gu Bei in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Her question made Gu Bei feel somewhat displeased. He had been so worried about her, yet here she was smiling at another man without a care.
Nevertheless, Gu Bei kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he casually replied, “I came to report to the Emperor. I heard you were here and came to pick you up.”
This excuse didn’t sound very convincing, but Ye Xiaohan, usually quite cautious, had no defenses against Gu Bei and took his words at face value without thinking too deeply.
“Well, that’s quite a coincidence! We were just about to head back,” Ye Xiaohan exaggeratedly rubbed her arms. “The palace is terrifying; I don’t want to stay here another moment.”
Saying this in front of Murong Jing was rather rude since the palace was his home; it was akin to speaking ill of someone’s house in their presence.
However, Murong Jing clearly didn’t mind at all and seemed to agree wholeheartedly. After all, he often preferred to be outside whenever he had the chance.
Gu Bei felt a twinge of unhappiness at Ye Xiaohan including Murong Jing in ‘we,’ but he held it back and maintained an expressionless demeanor as they headed back together.
As they walked, Ye Xiaohan recounted what had happened earlier to Gu Bei. Knowing that it was Murong Jing who had arrived just in time to save her only made Gu Bei feel even more uncomfortable.
Throughout the journey back, a faint sourness emanated from Gu Bei, yet Ye Xiaohan, having recently experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, was too excited to notice.
Murong Jing, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow with interest as he observed them.
"General Gu, you arrived just in time. Today, I shall treat you to some drinks," Murong Jing said, his gaze sweeping over them before settling on Gu Bei. "Boss Ye has promised to prepare a delicious meal in gratitude to me. I also happen to have a few barrels of fine wine in my collection. Good food and good wine make for a perfect gathering."
As if that wasn’t enough, he added, "And with Boss Ye's beauty accompanying us, it will be even more delightful."
Flattered by the compliment, Ye Xiaohan happily accepted. "Of course, I can't refuse the Third Prince's invitation. Gu Bei, do you have anything else to do? If not, come along with us."
Ye Xiaohan thought that since she was already going to cook, she might as well make extra so they could all enjoy it together; it would be livelier that way.
However, from Gu Bei's perspective, it seemed that Ye Xiaohan and Murong Jing had grown quite close without him realizing it—close enough for her to willingly cook for him.
Usually busy himself, Gu Bei refrained from making any requests of her for fear of tiring her out; he would rather go to their place and cook for them himself.
Now, though, he had to rely on Murong Jing’s invitation just to taste Ye Xiaohan’s cooking.
Seeing that Gu Bei did not respond immediately, Murong Jing feigned disappointment. "Is General Gu too busy? What a pity! Boss Ye's culinary skills are not something everyone gets to enjoy. It seems today only I am fortunate enough."
"I’m free," Gu Bei replied in a deep voice. Although he was reluctant to dine and drink with Murong Jing, he was even less willing to let Ye Xiaohan spend time alone with him.
Murong Jing smirked subtly when no one was watching.
Ye Xiaohan was in high spirits. "Then let’s head back together and go straight to the restaurant; all the ingredients are ready."
The three of them each had their own thoughts as they made their way toward the restaurant.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study of the palace, the Emperor appeared slightly more cheerful than usual today.
“Liu Aiqing, do you think this matter is handled appropriately?”
The Emperor's movements were exactly the same as before, with a high stack of memorials piled in front of him. As a diligent and benevolent ruler, he had a significant workload.
Every memorial submitted from various regions would fill the desk in the Imperial Study.
Most of the time, the Emperor was alone in this vast study, tirelessly reviewing memorials and understanding the situations across the land.
Sometimes, ministers would enter the Imperial Study, usually to discuss serious national affairs.
However, today seemed somewhat different; the Emperor did not wear that serious expression but instead appeared quite pleased.
Standing below him was another person, Chancellor Liu Chengye, who also wore a smile.
“Your Majesty is wise,” Liu Chengye said. “General Gu voluntarily revealed the whereabouts of the Exiled Prince’s princess, which shows General Gu’s loyalty to you.”
The Emperor smiled and replied, “I am deeply gratified by Gu Bei’s intentions. Previously, Liu Aiqing informed me that she was at a residence in the suburbs, and I have been waiting to see when Gu Bei would take the initiative to come forward.”
It turned out that earlier, Chancellor Liu had gone to Ye Xiaohan’s residence in a fit of anger over Liu Susu’s injury, intending to seek justice. Unexpectedly, he encountered Luo Jingxian, who had been mistaken for Bai Rong'er.
Having dealt with various political matters for many years and given that the Exiled Nation was a neighboring country, he had naturally focused on studying it. Thus, he was very familiar with the royal family members of the Exiled Nation.
So at first glance, he recognized Luo Jingxian's true identity.
Comment 0 Comment Count