ARTTEDBSGT Chapter 91
In the Crown Prince’s heart, a jar of aged vinegar brewed. Li Zhizhi was unaware of these thoughts; she only felt that Xiao Yan seemed a bit strange today. She looked at him suspiciously and softly said to Su Tangyu, “In my opinion, why not directly ask him and clarify things? It would be a straightforward way to communicate and give each other an explanation.”
Upon hearing this, Su Tangyu nodded, but her eyes began to turn red. She felt uneasy, not just because Song Lingyun had fallen for someone else, but more because of the injustice. Out of all people, he had to be involved with Jiang Ziyu. Over the years, she believed she treated Jiang Ziyu fairly, and she hadn’t done anything to harm Song Lingyun. Yet, it happened between these two.
Su Tangyu started to shed tears again, and Li Zhizhi handed her a handkerchief to wipe them away. Xiao Yan furrowed his brows slowly, attempting to intervene. He asked, “Who should we ask to clarify things?”
Being too proactive today, Li Zhizhi had an idea in mind. She grabbed Su Tangyu’s hand and comforted her gently, “If you agree, let someone go find him. We’ll face it openly, make everything clear. He’s the one who made a mistake, and you don’t need to be sad for such a person. Think about it, it’s fortunate that we discovered it early. If we found out after the marriage, wouldn’t it be even more unfortunate?”
Upon hearing this, Su Tangyu thought about it and felt disgusted. She said, “You’re right. There’s no need to be sad for such a scoundrel.”
Wiping her tears, she added, “I’ll go and talk to him, then inform my parents and break off the engagement.”
Li Zhizhi worried, “You want to see him alone? What if he reacts violently?”
Su Tangyu hesitated for a moment and said, “Then…”
“Moreover, this is his fault. Why bother going by yourself? It would put you at a disadvantage,” Li Zhizhi carefully suggested, “Why not send someone to bring him over?”
Su Tangyu hesitated, “Can that be done?”
“Of course, don’t forget, I’ll soon be the Princess,” Li Zhizhi smiled, her eyebrows gently curved. She held Su Tangyu’s hand, shook it, and encouraged, “I can support you. Who dares to bully you?”
Upon hearing this, Su Tangyu couldn’t help but chuckle, but her heart was incredibly comforted, warm and moved. With teary eyes, she said, “Zhizhi, you’re really kind.”
The two agreed on a date, and as the day grew late, Su Tangyu proposed to take her leave. Li Zhizhi then accompanied her out of the mansion. Walking side by side, the golden sunset rolled down a sea of clouds on the horizon, dazzling like a burning fire. It outlined the silhouette of the young girl, delicate and slender, like the early spring willow branches. Sitting in a carriage, Xiao Yan narrowed his phoenix eyes, watching them gradually go further and disappear behind the corridor.
After seeing off Su Tangyu, Li Zhizhi remembered that Xiao Yan was still in the garden. She went over to find him and saw a familiar figure standing under the wisteria pergola—Xiao Yan.
Since the day Li Zhizhi met him, he had always been sitting. The only time he stood up was at the Qian Mountain hunting ground, where he gave his horse to Li Zhizhi and walked himself.
Only that one time. After returning to the capital, whenever Xiao Yan went out, he remained seated in a wheelchair. But now, he was standing.
Li Zhizhi then noticed that Xiao Yan was tall, with a straight and towering figure. Unlike the refined and gentle Su Qingshang, he looked more like a sheathed sword or an unsharpened long knife. He stood under the wisteria pergola, and the cascading wisteria flowers almost touched his head.
Then Xiao Yan took a few steps, different from the last time. He still walked slowly but very steadily, without any swaying. Coupled with his n.o.ble temperament, he looked like he was strolling in a leisurely garden, even somewhat pleasing to the eye.
For some reason, Li Zhizhi hesitated and didn’t approach him immediately or speak. She just watched as Xiao Yan paced back and forth under the wisteria pergola. The wisteria flowers were blown by the wind, falling like rain. Suddenly, he sensed something, looked up in her direction, and their eyes met. Both of them were momentarily stunned.
Li Zhizhi walked forward and asked, “Is the Crown Prince’s leg injury alright now?”
Just a few days ago, he seemed to be limping a bit, but now he was walking normally, recovering surprisingly fast.
Xiao Yan raised his lips, almost like a smile, and asked, “How does it look?”
His demeanor seemed like he was seeking praise. Li Zhizhi hesitated and nodded, saying, “It’s very good. I just realized that the Crown Prince is unexpectedly tall.”
He looked tall from a distance, and when she approached, she found that she only reached his shoulder. If she wanted to make eye contact, she had to tilt her head slightly.
Xiao Yan suddenly said, “Being tall also has its drawbacks.”
Li Zhizhi looked at him somewhat unexpectedly. He was exceptionally handsome, with phoenix-like eyes, slightly raised eyebrows, and a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes. His nose was straight, and perhaps due to the warm sunset, golden sunlight shone on his face, revealing a hint of tenderness.
Li Zhizhi couldn’t understand and asked, “What’s bad about being tall?”
Being above everyone else, standing high, and seeing farther than ordinary people—it was a position many people spent their lives striving for.
Xiao Yan looked down at her and said, “Because being too tall is conspicuous. In a crowd, you can be seen at a glance. If it catches the attention of certain people, they will try to eliminate you by any means necessary. That’s the downside of being tall.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi looked up at him, earnestly saying, “I probably understand what the Crown Prince is saying, but I can’t truly experience it. I’ve always been at a lower position since birth, so I’ve never known the drawbacks of being tall, only its advantages.”
At this point, Li Zhizhi thought for a moment and then said, “People standing in high places do stand out. If someone likes him, wouldn’t they be able to see him at a glance?”
Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, his lips moved, but he couldn’t speak. He felt his throat tighten, and after a while, he finally spoke, “Do you think someone would like him?”
“Of course,” Li Zhizhi hardly hesitated, smiling and saying, “For example, someone like me, I like those who stand in high places the most.”
As she spoke, her gaze shifted, suddenly pointing to a cl.u.s.ter of wisteria flowers blooming vigorously on the overhead trellis, saying, “Brother Prince, I want that flower, can I?”
Xiao Yan looked at it and said, “Of course.”
With that, he simply reached out and effortlessly picked the cl.u.s.ter of wisteria flowers, handing it to Li Zhizhi, saying, “Here you go.”
Li Zhizhi took the flower, her brows and eyes slightly curved, a hint of cunning and adorable charm in her eyes. She said with a smile, “Brother Prince, see, isn’t this the advantage of being tall?”
Xiao Yan’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then shifted away. His voice was somewhat light as he asked, “Just this one? If you want anything else, I can pick it for you.”
Li Zhizhi was taken aback, about to say something, when suddenly a maid approached and said, “The Grand Princess has returned to the mansion and was just asking about Miss.”
Before she could finish, the voice of the Grand Princess, with a smiling tone, came from not far away, “Zhizhi.”
Li Zhizhi turned her head and indeed saw the familiar tall figure. She immediately smiled and quickly walked over, “Mother! You’re back!”
The Grand Princess affectionately held her hand, then noticed Xiao Yan and exclaimed, “Xiao Wu, is your leg injury healed?”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, “It’s almost done.”
“Oh my,” the Grand Princess chuckled, her eyes squinting with amus.e.m.e.nt, “I thought it would take a while, didn’t expect it to be so soon.”
Although her expression seemed content, her tone carried a hint of teasing.
Xiao Yan: …
Maintaining a calm expression, he shifted the topic, “Did Aunt enter the palace to meet the Emperor today?”
“Yes,” the Grand Princess remembered the main business, saying, “I went to discuss the t.i.tle for Zhizhi with your father.”
“What is it?” Xiao Yan inquired.
“I initially wanted to choose an auspicious one, but your father didn’t agree. He bestowed the t.i.tle ‘Zhao Hua’,” the Grand Princess replied.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan’s expression subtly changed. The Grand Princess noticed and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Is there something special about these two characters?”
“No,” Xiao Yan quickly resumed his composure, saying, “Receiving the jade of Zhao Hua, inheriting the lineage of the dragon, the meaning behind these two characters is quite good.”
Even though he said that, the Grand Princess couldn’t ignore his temperament. Without saying anything at the time, she pulled Xiao Yan aside when they were away from Li Zhizhi, looking serious, “Explain clearly, is there any taboo with the name Zhao Hua?”
Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s not really a taboo, Aunt. Do you still remember elder brother?”
The Grand Princess raised an eyebrow slightly and replied, “Of course, I remember.”
Xiao Yan continued, “He once wrote a poem called ‘Zhao Hua Yin."”
There was a hint of shock in the Grand Princess’s eyes. After a moment, she took a deep breath and said, “Perhaps you’re overthinking it. The Emperor might just think that these two words sound good. Didn’t you also say earlier that the meaning behind them is quite auspicious?”
Xiao Yan pursed his lips and calmly said, “I also hope that I’m overthinking it, but Aunt, Zhao Hua Yin was composed by elder brother before he was sentenced to death.”
The Grand Princess opened her mouth in astonishment but only managed to say, “This…”
Her hand pressed against the table, and her fingertips turned slightly white, mirroring her pale complexion. After a moment, the Grand Princess regained her composure and said, “This is too absurd. It was the Emperor’s first time meeting Zhizhi. There’s no reason for him to…”
She collected herself and continued, “You are being overly suspicious. It’s just a t.i.tle. When I recommended Zhizhi to him, he didn’t show any reluctance.”
“Mother,” Li Zhizhi’s voice suddenly sounded. Both of them turned to see her standing near the screen, the candlelight outlining her delicate figure in a faint glow. Li Zhizhi spoke softly, “If I can’t be conferred the t.i.tle of Princess, it’s okay.”
The Grand Princess immediately smiled and said, “Don’t say such silly things. The Emperor’s words are like gold and jade, how could he change them?”
Xiao Yan frowned. He wanted to say, “Why not? It’s just a Princess, why can’t I give it to you?” But he refrained and only said to the Grand Princess, “Aunt, I just remembered there are some matters in the mansion. I’ll take my leave. Can A’yang stay at the Grand Princess’s residence today?”
The Grand Princess’s heart was in turmoil, and she waved her hand, saying, “Sure, go ahead.”
Xiao Yan took a few steps, pa.s.sing by Li Zhizhi. Suddenly, he noticed a small purple wisteria flower pinned in her hair, radiating a gentle color in the candlelight.
It was the one he had picked.
After boarding the carriage, Xiao Yan did not return to the Crown Prince’s mansion as he had claimed. Instead, he quietly instructed Xu Tingfeng, saying, “Go to the imperial palace now.”