Chapter 162
Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse
Yu Linglong’s footsteps stopped .
This time, she didn’t turn around, but said without emotion: “If you were not his enemy, maybe I could promise you . But it’s a pity…”
On the empty and cold hillside, her voice was like an echo in an empty valley, misty and cold .
“If you are an enemy of his, you are an enemy of me . ”
After speaking these words, she did not stay anymore and decisively left .
There was cold air behind her, but there was no sound . She knew that Feng Xuanyuan had not followed .
It was becoming more and more difficult for her to understand what Feng Xuanyuan was doing . Sometimes she even wondered, was it possible that the cult leader really behaved so strangely? Even she couldn’t guess what Feng Xuanyuan wanted .
Everything was silent on the desolate stone mountain, and Yu Linglong walked into the room specially prepared for her . Although two stoves had been added here, they still couldn’t stop the chill from the wall .
She wrapped her quilt tightly, and she suddenly missed Lord Xu and his warm embrace .
Looking at the bright moon outside the small stone window, Yu Linglong sighed deeply .
It seemed that this night was destined to be a sleepless night .
She didn’t know that there was a “surprise” waiting for her in the Xu Palace at this moment .
Early the next morning, Yu Linglong left and returned to the capital .
After the frost of the morning, Yu Linglong entered the palace and then entered the gate . Zhao Liandeng hurriedly greeted her .
“Princess, you have finally returned, and I have something important to report . ”
Seeing Zhao Liandeng’s panic, Yu Linglong stopped: “What’s the matter?”
Since being lectured by Yu Linglong last time, Zhao Liandeng’s words have been concise and she immediately replied: “The princess just went out yesterday, and Princess Pingyang came, and…”
She peeked at Yu Linglong’s face, and whispered: “…sent two singers . ”
Zhao Liandeng was very afraid of Yu Linglong . From the first contact, she knew that the princess was definitely not easy to deal with . She worked hard in front of the princess for more than half a year, but it was not because of this matter that she was affected .
The princess’s att.i.tude towards those singers and dancers in the palace was well known, but now the princess of Pingyang had sent a singer to the palace . Wasn’t she poking the tiger’s belly?
Unexpectedly, when Yu Linglong heard this, she didn’t have the violent anger she expected . She just gave a faint hum and asked, “Where is the prince?”
Zhao Liandeng hurriedly replied: “The prince came back yesterday, and he went out when he heard that the princess had gone out . I heard the porter say that he came back in the middle of the night and rested in the study . ”
That is to say, Lord Xu ignored these two singers .
A faint smile appeared on her face . Yu Linglong said: “Where are the two people?”
Zhao Liandeng whispered: “I…I put them in the North Yard . ”
Yu Linglong snorted coldly, and said in a deep voice, “How dare you admit anyone into the mansion . What if they were a.s.sa.s.sins? You’re crazy, and you can’t afford such a huge responsibility!”
Zhao Liandeng was so frightened that she was in a cold sweat, and hurriedly knelt down on the ground: “I knew it was wrong . ”
Yu Linglong glanced at Zhao Liandeng who was so frightened out of her mind, but did not continue to blame her, and just said: “Okay, tell them to go to my room . ”
She knew that it was no wonder that Zhao Liandeng sent them in . The person was sent by Princess Pingyang, did she dare not accept a servant? Besides, the status of this singer was not inferior . No matter what she did, it was unpleasant, and Zhao Liandeng was also in a dilemma .
Forget it, only she can deal with such a bad thing .
She didn’t care what princess it was . If they dared to provoke her, they would lose face!
Xuan Cao and Hong Xing helped Yu Linglong to wash her face and change her clothes . She heard the maid outside say: “Dear princess, the singers Ru Yan and Wan Qing are here . ”
Yu Linglong sat in front of the dressing table and said, “Send them in . ”
When the two singers outside heard these words, they were immediately overjoyed .
They heard of Princess Xu’s name a long time ago . Before they came, they were already ready to be left out . Who knew that Princess Xu was so kind that she just called them in .
The two of them hurriedly walked in, and obediently knelt on the ground and bowed: “Ru Yan and Wan Qing hail the princess . ”
Looking at the mirror, Yu Linglong carefully inserted a red jade and pearl hairpin, and then slowly turned around and looked at the two people on the ground .
Ru Yan and Wan Qing lowered their heads subconsciously after being swept over by her stern gaze . Their hearts that had just relaxed suddenly started jumping again .
How could there be such a woman in the world, as beautiful as a peach blossom in the spring, but as cold as the December snow? Before she could speak, just seeing her pair of eyes made them feel timid .
Yu Linglong looked at them, and the slight displeasure that had just appeared suddenly disappeared . Did Princess Pingyang get hit in the head? She actually sent these kinds of women .
Ru Yan was wearing a moon-white b.u.t.terfly-patterned corset, revealing her red brocade inner garment . Her clothes were very elegant . At first glance, she looked like her name, as light as a cloud of smoke (Yan), but the undergarment inside looked really garish, and it added a lot of tackiness to her elegant face .
Coupled with the piles of jasper hairpins on her head and the jade bracelets on her wrists, she made herself look out of place . As if red and green were not enough, all kinds of jewelry were outdoing one another on her body .
As for the person next to her, Wan Qing, with a sea-green heavy jade lotus veil on her body, her clothes were very luxurious, but in this way, she looked like the lotus seat of the Guanyin Bodhisattva was upside down . She looked stiffer than a puppet, and it was really hard for her to kneel down in such clothes .
Seeing the two of them look uneasy, Yu Linglong held back a smile, trying to speak without a trace of emotion: “Get up . ”
Hearing the princess’s voice so peaceful, Ru Yan and Wan Qing finally relaxed and stood up properly .
After receiving the tea brought by Qing Mei, Yu Linglong rinsed her mouth and said, “How old are you?”
Ru Yan hurriedly said: “To answer the princess, I am eighteen years old . ”
Not to be outdone, Wan Qing replied, “I am seventeen years old . ”
Yu Linglong nodded slightly . They were seventeen or eighteen, two or three years older than her . Was Princess Pingyang demonstrating her? Laughing at her as just a fifteen-year-old prost.i.tute?
Yu Linglong said calmly: “What do you two do?”
Upon hearing Yu Linglong’s question, Ru Yan and Wan Qing both had shocked expressions on their faces, and they replied in a low voice, “We can sing . ”
The princess should have known it a long time ago . They were both singers, but she still had to ask, did this mean she despised them?
Yu Linglong looked like she just remembered: “Oh, yes, you are here to sing to the prince . ”
Ru Yan and Wan Qing were speechless . Did they have to sing? Was this princess so pure or naive?
Yu Linglong looked at the sky and said: “At this time, the prince should also be up . You two should go to the study and wait . Since you can only sing, you will sing outside the study . If the prince likes it, your good fortune will be here . ”
Ru Yan and Wan Qing never expected that this princess would be so easy to deal with . Whose mistress did not strictly guard against people of their status and secretly stumble? But Princess Xu promised to let them serve the prince up close . Such a generous mistress was really rare!
The two of them happily knelt on the ground and said: “Yes, thank you, princess!”
Seeing the two happily leaving the door, Yu Linglong’s long smile finally came to her face .
Thank me? After today, would you gnash your teeth and curse me?
Having not slept well on the mountain the night before, Yu Linglong sent the people out, so she laid down on the couch under the window and gradually relaxed .
In a daze, she suddenly felt a little warmth around her shoulders that had been exhausted all night long, and she also leaned into a solid embrace and slowly relaxed .
Taking a comfortable breath, Yu Linglong didn’t even open her eyes . A smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she whispered, “Are you back?”
With slightly thin and callused fingers stroking her delicate cheeks, Lord Xu’s deep voice was close: “When did you come back? Didn’t you ask someone to tell me?”
Yu Linglong pretended to be surprised and opened her eyes, and met his deep eyes very innocently: “I obviously sent someone to inform the prince . Those two singers, what are the names of the two singers, what are their names, Yan something Wan something, did they not tell you?”
Lord Xu was amused by her appearance but stopped laughing in a moment . He reached out and pinched her small chin, with a bit of bluffing in his tone, and said in a deep voice, “Say, did you do a good thing? Early in the morning, you asked people to sing under my window so that I couldn’t sleep!”
Yu Linglong pretended to be surprised and hid her mouth: “Huh? Don’t you like it?”
Before she finished speaking, he grabbed her slender waist and squeezed it punishingly, causing her pain and tickling her, and she almost laughed .
“Why would I like it? You know you are the only one in my heart, and you deliberately made trouble . Tell me, should I punish you?”
Yu Linglong laughed and hid, but she couldn’t escape from being held in his arms . She could only laugh while saying, “Well, well, this time I was wrong, so please spare me . ”
Only then did Lord Xu stop his hand and deliberately said with a thin anger: “If something like this happens again, I won’t spare you so easily . ”
Yu Linglong gathered the broken hair on her temples and smiled: “Who knows, your sister is considerate of you and gave you two singers . I can’t stop you . What’s more, if you like it, then what—”
His handsome face suddenly sank, and Lord Xu said: “What are you saying?”
Yu Linglong was silent now, but there was still an unstoppable smile on her face: “What did you do with those two women?”
Lord Xu said nonchalantly: “They’re still kneeling outside the study . ”
The two women ran under his window in the morning to make noises, but they still thought that their voices were the most beautiful . They almost started a song contest outside the study and they each sang happily until Lord Xu screamed at them to stop . They quickly knelt outside the study and used all of their charms to beg Lord Xu for forgiveness .
Lord Xu was too lazy to pester these two women, but he was upset by the quarrel, and he simply turned out from the back window and went straight to the backyard to find Yu Linglong .
And the two women, thinking that Lord Xu stayed in the study and did not come out, were kneeling in the yard tremblingly towards the empty study .
Yu Linglong’s eyebrows were crooked, and her face was full of unbearable smiles . She had long known that Lord Xu could not entertain the idea of these two women, but she did not expect that Lord Xu would be so tender .
Speaking of the two noisy women, Lord Xu became angry . He stretched out his hand and squeezed Yu Linglong’s face and said in a deep voice: “There will be such women in the future, and I will send them all away!”
Yu Linglong smiled cleverly and replied in a very good mood: “Yes, prince, I will be obedient!”
The two of them cuddled and leaned on the couch, bickering for fun, and the room was full of a warm and sweet atmosphere .
It’s just that other people were not in such a good mood .
The next morning, Zhao Liandeng went to the house to report to Yu Linglong: “…The two girls, Ru Yan and Wan Qing had a high fever in the middle of the night last night . I already invited a doctor to come in for treatment . I heard that it was from the cold . ”
Yes, in this kind of weather, the two singers only wore thin clothes and knelt outside the study for a whole day . It would be strange if they were not cold .
Through the window, Yu Linglong said impatiently: “It hasn’t been two days since entering the mansion . How can the wind and cold enter the body? In my opinion, there must be something wrong with them! I order you to immediately prepare a carriage and take them back . When they are sent back to Princess Pingyang’s Mansion, say that they are sick people and Prince Xu’s Mansion was afraid to take them in . ”
Knowing that the princess was serious, Zhao Liandeng went to the house and agreed to make arrangements .
The poor two beautiful singers who looked like flowers and jade never saw what Lord Xu looked like, and were sent out of the Royal Palace of Xu .
As for what Princess Pingyang will do with these two women who can only sing, it didn’t matter to Yu Linglong .
…
The winter solstice was approaching . Because this year the drought and locust plagues and other disasters came to the capital, the emperor ordered the ceremony to be extraordinarily grand and specified that the crown prince was personally responsible .
Naturally, the prince did not dare to neglect anything . He must do everything personally, and nothing was allowed to go wrong . Although the prince was unpopular in the court at this time, no one dared to slack off such major events as the ceremony, and everything was going on in full swing .
On this day, the mages in the ceremony were to be selected . This matter was of great importance, and the prince decided to personally select them to ensure that nothing went wrong .
Early in the morning, the prince took the people to the West Hall . There were already dozens of mages waiting in the hall . Some were wearing robes, some were twisting Buddhist beads, some were wearing jade crowns, and some were holding dusters . They all looked very serious .
Seeing the prince entering the hall, everyone stood up to bow but did not kneel down and kept a certain distance between each other, which seemed a bit mysterious .
The prince questioned everyone in turn, and he chose ten monks and ten Taoist priests to be the imperial mages on the day of the ceremony .
After making the decision, the prince walked outside the hall . Who knew that before he reached the door, he heard a strong voice behind him: “Your Royal Highness, please stay . ”