The bumpy ride made Song Lianhe’s stomach churn violently!
As she was dragged from the carriage, she pulled the gag from her mouth. Before her captors could speak, she held up a hand, signaling for them to wait. Then she stumbled to the side of the carriage, leaned against it, and started to vomit.
After a long mont, she turned back. "Water... Water..."
The guards finally ca to their senses and hurriedly ordered soone to pass her a waterskin.
Song Lianhe rinsed her mouth, then held out her hand. "Candy."
’Vomiting leaves such a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s awful.’
The guards opposite her exchanged glances. One of them reluctantly pulled a small bag of malt candy from his tunic and gave a piece to Song Lianhe.
’He’d bought that for his Little Chun Tao!’
Song Lianhe bit into the candy, not expecting it to be so chewy it stuck to her teeth, making it difficult to speak.
Only then did she look up to get a proper look at the guards opposite her. They wore golden armor and tiger-head helts—clearly the uniform of the Imperial Palace’s imperial guard.
Looking around, she saw she was flanked by vermilion palace walls, with a side door nearby.
"Kidnapping a dignified County Princess and bringing her to the Imperial Palace... Heh. The one behind this certainly has so nerve!"
She turned her head, her gaze fixed directly on them.
The n dropped to one knee. "County Princess, please forgive our offense!"
Before Song Lianhe could react, she was hauled through a courtyard gate. Soone was already waiting inside. "Hurry up, or we’ll be too late!"
*
A rendition of the "Falling Geese Song" won thunderous applause.
Song Xilan rose and curtsied gracefully before Empress Chun De. "Please forgive my humble performance."
The Empress, herself an expert on the zither, naturally had a soft spot for the equally talented Song Xilan. She specially beckoned the girl to her side to speak with her.
"Where is Biwu?" Chun De asked Fang Xiu, the head attendant standing behind her.
"Your Majesty, Prince Qing sent word that he is tired and will not be coming..."
"That Biwu! He’ll be the death of !"
Chun De had organized this hairpin banquet for the sole purpose of choosing a consort for him, and what does he do? He simply washes his hands of the whole matter.
’He’s already past the age of twenty. An ordinary man his age would have long been married with a family—his son would be starting his studies by now! Not like him, all alone in the world, without a single person to look after him. It breaks my heart just thinking about it.’
"Relay my orders. If he still refuses to co, then he can stay out of my Kunyi Palace from now on!"
"Yes."
Fang Xiu imdiately dispatched soone to summon him again.
Chun De turned her gaze back to Song Xilan beside her, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
’This girl is so likable, no matter how you look at her. Her features are sweet, yet she carries herself with dignity. She possesses both virtue and talent, and her temperant is impeccable. It’s just... her family background...’
Chun De frowned and shook her head inwardly.
’She’d heard whispers in the palace about the reputation of the girl’s mother, Mrs. Liu. Her father was from the countryside, a re Sixth-Grade Camp Thousand Commander who had sacrificed his life to save another, and in doing so, secured a life of glory for his daughter.’
’In other words, the girl’s family was of no great use. Not only would they be unable to help Biwu, they might even beco a liability in the future.’
The guests below, of course, had no idea what the Empress was thinking. They only saw that she was showing special favor to Song Xilan.
Zhuang Qiaoyue shot a smug glance at Cao Ying, who was seated opposite her. Enraged, Cao Ying slamd her cup down on the small table. "What are you so smug about? The Empress was praising her, not you!"
"Heh, so what? Xilan is my dear friend, so I naturally share in her glory. Even the Empress dotes on her, to say nothing of Prince Ling. So people should just stop making a scene. As if Prince Ling would ever give her the ti of day!"
Cao Ying’s eyes narrowed. Just as she was about to retort, a young eunuch scurried to her side and whispered a few words in her ear.
The gloom on Cao Ying’s face vanished. After dismissing the eunuch, she gave a faint smile. "Yes, Prince Ling may not think much of , but that doesn’t an Song Xilan will get her heart’s desire! Don’t forget, the marriage between Prince Ling and Song Lianhe was decreed by the Holy Emperor himself. Even if Prince Ling takes her in, she’ll end up just like her mother—a re concu... oh, my apologies, a ’secondary wife.’"
She covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed, and a few of the young ladies she was friendly with joined in.
"Why, you— Cao Ying! You..."
’As displeased as Zhuang Qiaoyue was, she didn’t dare refute the claim in public. Anyone with eyes could see that Prince Ling favored Song Xilan. But Cao Ying wasn’t wrong. A marriage decreed by the Holy Emperor was absolute. No amount of favoritism could make her the main wife! And as lacking as Song Lianhe might be, she still held the title of legitimate daughter of the General Mansion and had the backing of the Xuan Chang Marquis Mansion. Even if Prince Ling wanted to break the engagent, he would have to weigh the current political landscape carefully.’
Just then, Zhou Junlin approached Empress Chun De. His clear gaze swept over Song Xilan, who was seated below the Empress, and a tenderness he could not hide filled his eyes. He then bowed to Chun De. "Mother-Empress, your son has arrived late. I beg your forgiveness."
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